Organize Leftover House Paints in Mason Jars
How to organize your leftover house paints in glass mason jars.
Part of my spring cleaning this year has been to go through all the leftover house paint. I seem to have a collection of big gallon paint cans with only a little bit left in each can. I don’t want to dispose of any of the paint to keep around for any wall touch ups but I don’t want to keep these rusty cans. So what’s the best way to store them?
I came up with this convenient and pretty solution for storing leftover house paints.
Organize House Paints
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I picked up these mason jars in two different sizes. Some of the paint cans had quite a bit of paint left in them and some had only a little bit.
Once you determine which paints you want to save, simply pour them into a jar.
Immediately after you pour one into a jar, put a temporary label on it. I just used a piece of masking tape to write the name on each one as my neutral paints colors all look the same.
I picked up some pretty labels and stuck one on each jar.
Don’t they look pretty?
What was surprising to me was that I had to (properly) dispose of a LOT of my old paint. I thought for sure all or most would be salvagable but most were all rusty or too goopy to even pour.
So I’m glad I’m starting to store my paint this way so now I can see them and be more inclined to paint a project with them or touch up a wall.
While I was at it, I decided to dip a large popsicle stick into each jar and set it to dry.
Then I just wrote the paint name on the stick.
I have the paint color sticks in my office for quick reference.
I also store my house paint colors also with other house reference stuff in a pretty binder.
I just taped the paint chip to a piece of paper and stuck it in a clear plastic sheet protector for easy reference.
So here is a break down all of the paints used in my house.
I hope this has inspired you to get your leftover house paints organized. You’ll be so glad you did!
Make sure to pin it for later!
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Jamie- I love this idea and I need to do the same thing! I usually use whatever recycled containers I have on hand, but this is pretty and practical (seeing the contents). If I do get this done I will link back to you! Will you please consider linking this post to Friday Favorites at http://imnotatrophywife.com that goes live tonight!
laura
Thanks Laura 😉
Hugs,
Jamie
So glad I found your blog! Count me in as your newest follower! Loved everything about this post and how helpful and easy it all is! Can’t wait to continue exploring everything on So Much Better With Age 🙂 Xxo
Thanks Melissa! So glad you’re here 😉
Hugs,
Jamie
Great ideas. You can even take the paint sticks with you when shopping for all your home decor items. I think the paint stored in jars would save a lot of space too!
Yes, awesome idea!! I love how pretty they look in the jars 😉
Hugs,
Jamie
If you have rust in your paint pour it through an old pair of tights (pantyhose) and it will strain out any bits and save your paint. And if you don’t want rust to form in the future, close the paint lid firmly and then store the can upside down.
So smart! Thanks for those tips 😉
Ooh lovely!
😉
So smart! I really need to do something like this as a space saver. I have cans that are a quarter full and take up way too much shelf space. Your colors are lovely by the way. Pretty much every room in our house needs to be repainted- yuck!
I know, Shauna, mine were the same! I thought I’d have so many jars to fill but most were too little to even save. They look so pretty now 😉
Hugs,
Jamie
I’m pinning this so I don’t forget about it, I’d love to do this with my paint that I have!
Glad I inspired you, Rondell 😉
Hugs,
Jamie
LOVE your palette Jamie – and great paint storage idea! Pinned:)
Thanks Krista!
Hugs,
Jamie
Yes I seriously need to organize my paint colors! Awesome idea and it the sticks are def cute in the crock! 😀
Thanks Heather!
Hugs,
Jamie
This just makes what once is a mess SO pretty to look at! I love it…
Thanks so much. I want to stare at them all the time and it’s just paint!
Hugs,
Jamie
Great tips! Love it….I use mason jars also but you took it to a whole other level…..great job!
Thanks so much, Christine!
Hugs,
Jamie
Crazy question .Do the jars keep it sealed well enough without actually sealing them (like the canning process).?
Hi Anna,
There is a sticky seal under the lid and when it’s screwed in it’s extra tight. It’s like a regular lid when sealed without the canning process. I wondered the same thing 😉
Hugs,
Jamie
I think this is brilliant. I’ve only recently started putting paint in non-metal containers. I opened two, brand new, never opened ASCP colors recently to find they were already rusty. That’s way too much $$ to lose.
I didn’t know about the canning jars, though, at Wal-Mart. Good tip!
Thanks. 😉
That’s awful! Can you return them? You should definitely call that stockist where you purchased them. I love using the jars now so you can see what’s inside! Thanks so much for stopping by 😉
Hugs,
Jamie
Sadly, the stockiest has been extremely unresponsive since the day I finished my 1 and only class with them. They finally did respond to me with a completely unrelated answer. As though they were talking to another person.
I should be more careful, but even when I got home and found I’d been charged for 2 more cans I didn’t buy, plus 2 more books, I couldn’t get a response. I figured bags had been switched, so someone, somewhere was missing their stuff. Even though I paid for it.
So no. I’m stuck with it. But they’re in their new containers.
Just today I put polyacrylic into a new container. It was rusting, too. Grrrr…
I also like the look of things all lined up and pretty! I’ve kept the paint swatches and written their info on stickies, then taped them (covered with packing tape for drips) to the jars. Nothing worse than a color you love and no info, and a color match just … doesn’t.
Just need a few more things to paint… [looking around, eyeing the cats] if they’d just hold still….
Christine, that’s terrible about that stockist. I definitely would not order the paints through them again. So one of my readers wrote a comment saying to strain the paint through pantyhose to get rid of the rust. It’s because of a bad seal on the paint can I guess. It definitely looks really pretty in the glass jars 😉
Hugs,
Jamie
Yes! That’s so inspiring. I have about 18 thousand cans of paint i need to go through this spring! Just found your blog from “Dear Lillie”, and it looks awesome here!
Cindy
haha, I know the feeling! I was surprised at how many I had too and the few that I could keep 🙁 Thanks so much for stopping by!
Hugs,
Jamie
Great tips! I definitely need to organize my paints. I’m featuring your tips in this week’s PoPP Spotlight.
Thanks again! You made my day 😉
Hugs,
Jamie
I have so many paints from projects over the years. The ones I want to keep tabs on the most are those I use on my house. Thank you so much for such a great way to organize them all!
You’re so welcome and thanks for your sweet comment!
Hugs,
Jamie