Why This Eating Utensil Is The Perfect Thing To Have On Hand While Painting A Room

We've all been there: your walls are dated and in need of a facelift. Or maybe you love the color but don't love the scratch marks, dings, and dents from years of wear and tear (even though there's a trick to fix scuffed paint in your home). No matter what the reason is, you're ready to tackle your next painting project. But what happens when you pop open the can of paint and realize you're missing one crucial element: a paint stirrer? Before you run out to your local hardware store or start scouring your yard for usable sticks (don't do this — you'll only get pieces of bark in your paint), you might only need to open your kitchen drawer. That's right; you can easily swap out a traditional paint stirrer for chopsticks, an eating utensil you probably have handy. 

Now, if the only chopsticks you have available are reusable and part of your everyday cutlery, you want to skip using these. We're talking about the disposable ones you get when ordering takeout. These can easily stir any can of paint and transition to the garbage can when you're done with them. Chopsticks are roughly 8 to 10 inches, and a gallon of paint is about 7.5 inches high, making them the perfect option. So if you're ready to tackle those walls, grab your chopsticks and get ready to stir your paint!

There are two ways you can go about carrying out this genius chopstick hack. The first is to use your chopsticks and some elbow grease to stir your paint, the same way you would with a traditional paint stirrer. The only issue with this method is that chopsticks are thinner than a paint stirrer, which means it may take longer to thoroughly mix your paint. If your paint has been sitting for a while and the colors have detached from one another, you might find it takes even longer. 

However, you can easily remedy this problem by using a power drill. Simply put your chopstick in your power drill and mix your paint, just like you would mix up a cake (via YouTube). It's best to go slow at first — you don't want to risk paint flying all over the place. You also want to insert the chopstick in your drill at an angle. But once you're done mixing, you'll have perfectly prepped paint ready to make its way to your walls. And the best part? You didn't have to run to the hardware store for a paint stirrer and were able to make good use of an old pair of disposable chopsticks. Win-win!