Make Spray Paint DIYs So Much Easier With Items You Already Have In Your Kitchen & Garage

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All DIYers have run into the struggle of trying to spray-paint something at home or in their garage without causing a mess. Maybe you don't have an outdoor space to use for your spray-painting needs, or maybe you live in a state that gets cold and would prefer not to spend hours outside spray-painting your latest thrift find while your fingers go numb. If you would prefer to comfortably spray-paint indoors but worry about the mess, these few items you already have at home can make it possible. All you need is a rotating cake stand and an old tent to master spray-painting DIYs in the convenience of your home or garage.

The idea is to use a cake stand to rotate the item while you're spray-painting it. Paired with a protective tent used as a paint booth, this allows you to comfortably spray-paint items without making a mess. Thanks to the rotating cake stand, you can easily reach all the sides and corners of any object without having to manually move it around and risk marring the paint. The smooth rotation will allow for an efficient, even, and low-mess application on all sides of the piece, and you'll minimize the size of the needed protective tent since you'll only have to spray in one general direction.

Without these upgrades, spray-painting indoors is a struggle. Sure, you could lay a tarp or cardboard cover over the floor to protect it, but you still have to be careful not to get paint on any nearby walls and items. While you can use WD-40 to easily remove dried spray paint from some surfaces, it's often extremely challenging (if not impossible) to get out of most materials.

To make this setup, you'll need a tent to use as a spray paint cover. You can buy one specifically for this, like the Vevor Spray Paint Shelter at Home Depot. However, you could also upcycle a secondhand camping shower tent or beach sun shelter. Some of these will have a bottom layer, and some won't. Either way, since these aren't made for strong chemicals and paints, it's always best to lay a layer of protective tarp or cardboard underneath your DIY paint booth to protect your floor.

Then, you'll need to grab a rotating cake stand. This is a genius way to repurpose a cake stand if you already have one lying around that's not getting any use. Otherwise, pick one up from a thrift shop or find a simple one online, like this Kootek Aluminum Revolving Cake Stand. What matters is that your cake stand has the ability to rotate. Wrap the cake stand with a layer of protective masking paper to prevent any paint from getting onto it, and you'll be able to reuse it in the kitchen.

Before starting with these cheap and easy spray-painting upgrades, it's absolutely necessary to make sure you have the appropriate protective gear. When working with spray paint, especially indoors, you always need a paint respirator and safety goggles. Painting without these protections exposes you to toxic fumes and particles, which can severely hurt your lungs and eyes. Even for small projects, you should consider installing a fan port with an outward-facing box fan and filter to circulate the air and trap free-floating particulates. These protections will be handy for so many DIY projects, whether you're trying to make spray-painting cabinets easier or just repainting small holiday decorations.