Prevent Messy Paintbrush Drips With A Genius Container Lid Hack

We probably all have a love-hate relationship with home painting projects. While the finished product is so rewarding, the mess and stress can be enough to make anyone drop it to the bottom of their to-do list. If you love finding painting tips and tricks to make your jobs a little easier (and a lot less messy) — like the vaseline hack that makes intricate paint jobs a breeze or keeping two buckets on hand – then the storage lid trend that converts unused container tops into a catch tray could be the solution to your problem. 

Who would have guessed that cutting a slit in the lid of a container you no longer use or need could create a catch-all tray that keeps paint from dripping onto your floor, furniture, or even yourself? Home hacks don't have to be difficult, and they certainly don't need to cost a lot of money. In this case, you might even find a purpose for an item that had no home or was cluttering your cupboards or pantry. All you need to complete this trick is an old or unused container, like a yogurt or storage lid, which will become the tray for your paint brush.

Once you've found a lid, which can range from an orphaned Tupperware lid to a takeout container top, you want to use an exacto knife and cut a slit in the middle of the plastic so it's centered. The cut needs to be large enough that a paint brush handle can fit through, but not so large as to allow paint to drip into the hole. This should act as a barrier between your brush and your hand, arm, or anything else paint can drip on. If your lid has a lip or rim that would ordinarily be considered the "bottom," this can better serve as the upside of your trap so that the runoff gets caught in the lip barrier.

Insert your paintbrush and push it so that the cut you made sits as close to the head as possible. Now you can paint without worrying about drips, which usually happen any time you are trying to cover an area above eye level. Ceilings, higher areas on your walls, or even fixtures can now be easily painted without worrying about a mess. This trick even works for roller brushes: you can use a drill to create the ideal hole, before removing the roller brush, pushing the lid onto the metal arm, then reinserting the brush. You can even say goodbye to more messy paint drips by using items from your pantry or cupboards as containers for your brushes.

You can leave the paint on the lid to dry after each project, extracting the brush to clean it. You can also wipe down the plastic lid after each use if you want, but it's not a requirement since the whole point is for it to catch drips and droplets. Over time, you might find the cut you made becomes too loose to keep paint from creeping through. In this case, replace this "tray" with a fresh lid.

Always make sure to store this lid with your paint supplies to avoid anyone accidentally trying to use it with food storage containers. Place it with the paint-heavy side up and allow it to dry between projects to avoid wet paint getting anywhere it shouldn't be. Any time you find a lid without a bottom container, pop it aside for this purpose, since you can alter the size of the cut to accommodate any paintbrush and project.