How A Pie Tin Guarantees The Cleanest Paint Job Ever

If you're a new (or experienced) DIYer gearing up to paint inside your house, then you're probably familiarizing yourself with as many time and effort-saving hacks as you can. And if you ensure you're suited up with the right supplies to execute a clean and even paint job with minimal to no splatter on the floor, rugs, or furniture, your paint job will look professional. That's where a pie tin comes in handy.

While most people will have some sort of tarp to protect the floor, even with a tarp, unprotected paint cans are a nightmare. Here's the thing about painting and paint cans — gravity keeps working even when we're not looking. The moment you mix paint in the can, jostle it by mistake, pour paint into a tray, or dip a brush in, paint could be slobbering its way down the side of the can onto the surface below. At the very least, your shoes will pick up any paint spilled on the tarp, and you'll walk it all over the place. And if you've placed the can on a bare floor, you might discover a heinous paint stain when you lift the can, or worse, damage to the floor. You can avoid all of this by securing an aluminum pie tin to the bottom of your can. It's the perfect lo-fi drip catcher.

To eliminate paint stains, gather your supplies to use this pie tin hack. Purchase a few aluminum pie tins. You'll also need a hot glue gun if you don't already have one. Finally, have your paint can ready nearby and make sure its lid is firmly on and secured.

With your glue gun poised over the pie tin, make a circle of glue about 2 or 3 inches away from the center of the tin. It's fine if the amount of glue you deposit is about 3/4 of an inch thick. Safely place the glue gun aside, center your paint can over the tin, and press down, holding it in place for five to ten seconds. Give it a few minutes to dry before you start painting, and voila. Afterward, you can either use it again or dispose of it.

This drip catcher guarantees a super clean paint job. But even with great planning, accidents do happen. If a pet unexpectedly tears through the room you're painting or something else occurs to knock your paint can over or give it a serious jostle, a simple kitty litter trick will clean up spilled paint, saving your hardwood floor. Plan for that, and you're golden.