This Genius School Supply Painting Hack That Makes Renovations A Breeze

In theory, painting interior walls should be a fairly easy project. However, once you get around to painting the little details of your space, your technical skills become a lot more relevant. One particularly challenging section of an interior space to paint is the baseboards. You want to give those baseboards a crisp, clean paint job, but getting it just right without smearing paint on the floor or wall is a tricky task. If you're feeling stumped on how to protect your floor while painting your baseboards, you're in luck: DIY enthusiast @_a_little_change shared on Instagram a DIY paint hack worth trying in your home. This hack relies on a classic school supply — plastic sheet protectors. By just putting a plastic sheet protector underneath your paint roller, you can give your baseboards a pristine coat of paint without making a mess on your floor.

For those who don't remember using these, sheet protectors are the little plastic sleeves that hold papers inside binders. If you don't have any on hand, you can buy them online — Target sells a pack of 25 for about $3. Aside from the obvious necessary supplies, like paint, a paint roller, and a paint tray, the only other item you might want is painter's tape to protect the area of the wall right above the baseboard, since this trick is only for protecting the floor. Once you have all the equipment you need, you're ready to get started with your mess-free baseboard paint job.

Begin by clearing the floor along the wall — this DIY painting tip requires there to be an empty path alongside the entire length of the baseboard. Lay one plastic sheet protector on the floor, so that the longer side of the sheet is parallel with the baseboard. Hold your paint roller sideways, so that the roller is vertical. Place the roller onto the sheet protector, about an inch away from the edge of the sheet closest to the wall. Then, keeping the paint roller firmly on the sheet protector, slide the roller into the wall so that it's touching the baseboard. You should see part of the plastic sheet protector slide underneath the baseboard. Roll the paint roller across the baseboard, pushing it slightly downward so that the roller stays in place on the sheet protector.

The sheet protector is made of a light plastic material, so it should easily glide along the floor as you move the paint roller, protecting the floor from excess paint. And since the sheet is clear, you'll still have a clear field of view for both the baseboard and the floor. Depending on how smoothly the sheet protector is moving, you may need to use your spare hand to hold the sheet protector down and make sure it doesn't slip out of place. And just like that, you'll be done painting your baseboards, no stress required.