• House Tour
    • Reveals
  • About
    • Smith Life
    • Disclosure and Privacy Policy
      • Terms and Conditions
      • Store Affiliates
  • Contact Me
    • Want a Button?
  • Shop
    • Floral Printable Planners
    • Paint eBooks and Packages
    • Wedding Binders & Extra Printables!
    • Planner Bundles
    • Planner Accessories
    • Home Decor Printables!
  • Cart
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Happily Ever After, Etc.

Creating Our Own Fairytale

  • Happily Ever After, Etc.
  • Home
  • Home Decor
    • My Home
    • Paint
    • Before and After
    • Tablescapes
    • Mood Boards
    • Furniture
  • DIY & Crafts
    • New to Cricut – Start Here
    • Cricut Projects
    • Resin
    • Scrapbooking
  • Organization & Planning
    • Cricut
    • Organization
    • Planner
  • Holidays
    • Christmas
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Easter
  • Wedding
    • Cricut Wedding Projects
    • Free Wedding Binder
    • Bride Bag- The Ultimate Wedding Planner

How to Paint like a PRO… Tips and Tricks from Sherwin-Williams University!

Hey y'all

Remember that work conference a while back? Well when you work for Sherwin Williams you can expect at least 4 hours of that conference to be painting something! We had an excellent class full of tips and tricks…. which came in handy when the hubby decided we just had to paint! So here’s my best tips on how to paint like a pro… courtesy of SWU!

The first step? Prep work! Make sure all of your surfaces are clean, dull and dry. As long as you keep your home fairly clean you should be fine… but if you’re painting the kitchen or bathroom you might want to give certain areas an extra scrub 😉 . If you want to protect your floors and furniture feel free to throw a drop cloth over anything in the splash zone! If you have a steady hand to cut-in your moldings feel free to skip the blue painter’s tape… if however you have itty bitty molding in every single corner like we do TAPE EVERYTHING!

Just make sure that when you tape you are placing your tape as close as you can to the edge… and then pressing it tight! Use a fingernail or straight edge to secure the edge down to the wall. Other wise paint can seep underneath and ruin those beautiful white lines. Yuck!

Looking for a bunch of posts on painting? I’ve got you covered!
Click here to see all of my helpful paint posts in one place!

BONUS: Freebie Alert!

Looking for a little color help? I’ve put together a quick, easy and FREE Printable of my Top 10 Neutral Paint Colors and their coordinating colors. So that you can pick a color with ease. It’s at the bottom of this post so don’t forget to hit download before you go… easy peezy lemon squeezy!

Score!

How to Paint like a Pro... Tips and Tricks from Sherwin-Williams University! Happily Ever After, Etc. How to Paint like a Pro... Tips and Tricks from Sherwin-Williams University! Happily Ever After, Etc. How to Paint like a Pro... Tips and Tricks from Sherwin-Williams University! Happily Ever After, Etc.

Once the taping is done we can move on to the second step: Painting! Start by cutting in the edges with a small brush: try a 2″ angled sash brush. They’re small enough to cut in properly and easy to handle. Paint the entire edge of a room first… about 5 inches out from the edge will do. You want an area large enough to roll into without hitting the wall.

If you aren’t using tape cutting in is mucho important… it makes all the difference between a sharp crisp line and getting kool-aid in your cheerios. At SWU (Sherwin Williams University… duh!) they teach you that brushes are meant to be held vertically to cut in… take a look at the picture below.

How to Paint like a Pro... Tips and Tricks from Sherwin-Williams University! Happily Ever After, Etc.

See how the bristles are pressed straight down against the wall? This makes the bottom bristles fan out… so that when you pull the brush down the wall it makes a crisp line. Load your brush up with paint AND DON’T WIPE THE EXCESS PAINT OFF… you want a lot of paint on your brush to cut in. If it starts to drip you can tap the extra back into the can… just don’t wipe. Next tap your brush against the wall to get your bristles to fan out (like the picture above)… then pull! Easy peezy! Haha… okay not easy peezy…. it definitely took a couple try’s to learn how to do this the right way. But once you have it down it works so much better!

Most people think that to cut in you need to hold you brush sideways… like the bottom picture… and paint in a straight line. Trust me this is way harder because really? Who can paint in a straight line?! No one… especially not for every wall in your house. Try it the right way… it really works!

How to Paint like a Pro... Tips and Tricks from Sherwin-Williams University! Happily Ever After, Etc.

The most important part about painting is keeping the paint wet while you’re painting… so do one wall at a time. Paint the entire wall corner to corner before you move on. Once the edging is painted you can start to roll the wall… making sure to roll all the way into the wet edge of the border! You want to roll as close to the top of the wall (or side) without hitting the ceiling… this blends the brush paint with the roller paint and avoids “hatbanding.” Isn’t that a fun word? It’s the effect that happens when the part of the wall that was cut in with a brush looks completely different than the part of the wall that was rolled! Imagine a border around the edges of your wall… the same color, same paint, but a slightly different texture. No Bueno!

When you’re ready to roll your paint onto the large parts of the wall you’re almost done… this part is as easy as you are tall! You know because a tall person can roll the whole wall in one swipe (aka the hubby) where as the rest of us have to run up and down the ladder to fill the whole wall (and I’m not even short!). Now the folks at SWU completely busted the popular W paint method: you know the one on all the home improvement shows where they teach you to paint a W on your wall and then fill it in? I’ve been doing that for years and it works just fine… but this is so much better.

Start with your roller all the way at the ceiling… and paint straight down to the floor… then straight back up to the ceiling. Yes you’re painting the same line twice… just go with it… You’ve basically painted a line on your wall. A line that is covered really well with paint because you’ve gone over it twice! Now move your brush over just a bit… so that you’re going over about 1/3 of the line you just painted… and do the same thing. Let gravity pull your roller all the way down and then push it all the way up. Then move your roller over until it’s covering about 1/3 of the second line you just painted and keep going… all the way across the wall. The whole point is to keep a wet edge of paint… one edge that is always wet and being painted over. This ensures that when your paint dries it’s all one consistent color and direction… gorgeous!

How to Paint like a Pro... Tips and Tricks from Sherwin-Williams University! Happily Ever After, Etc.How to Paint like a Pro... Tips and Tricks from Sherwin-Williams University! Happily Ever After, Etc. How to Paint like a Pro... Tips and Tricks from Sherwin-Williams University! Happily Ever After, Etc.How to Remove Wallpaper Like a CHAMP! with Happily Ever After, Etc.

If you’re working by yourself then cut in all of the edges on one entire wall first… then fill in with a roller! If you’re working with a partner-in-crime pick one person to cut in and one to roll! Now you can do double duty! Twice as fast!

Once you’re done step back and enjoy the beauty of your new paint… trust me the best part is pulling off that tape (once the paint is dry of course) and seeing those crisp lines for the first time. Breathless!

How to Paint like a Pro... Tips and Tricks from Sherwin-Williams University! Happily Ever After, Etc.

So what do you think? Do these paining tips make you want to paint a room or run for the hills? It’s a lot of information but I promise… after painting our entire house I can attest to how much it’s worth it!

P.S. 3 Quick Tips to Pick the Perfect Paint Color for your Home and How to Keep Track of the Paint Colors in your Home

Save

Get Your FREE PDF Paint Color Swatches!

Ready to paint?
Here's a snapshot of our FAVORITE 10 Neutral Paint Colors... and their coordinating colors.

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

Powered by ConvertKit
You made it through the entire post? That means you're one of my new favorite people! I'd love to be friends and see what else you would like to read about! Leave me a comment and then sign up for your very own FREE paint planner.... so that you can keep track of every single paint color with ease!
Welcome back! I'd love to be friends and see what else you would like to read about! Leave me a comment and then sign up for your very own FREE paint planner.... so that you can keep track of every single paint color with ease!

Show me some LOVE y'all:

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Email

Related

«
»

DIY & Crafts, My Home, Paint, Smith Life 42

Comments

  1. Melissa says

    July 6, 2015 at 6:11 pm

    I’ve been painting since I was about 10. I never had a white wall until I moved into the home I’m in now. I’m so ready to paint but there will be a ton of prep work to be done! I’m glad to see the W method is out. I don’t like doing it that way… it hurts my wrist. I’ve never had luck with painters tape either. It always bleeds through :-/ Maybe I don’t press it down hard enough. Thanks for the post!

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      July 6, 2015 at 10:49 pm

      The W method never worked for me either… sooo much work! This is way easier! This is the first time painters tape has ever worked for me, I’ve always had bleed through before! This time I used the new blue tape with the edge lock… pressing it down firmly worked like a charm! I know it’s a lot of prep work but it’s so worth it to not have blank walls! Good luck with the new home!

      Reply
  2. Michelle @ Sunshine and Hurricanes.com says

    July 6, 2015 at 8:15 pm

    I’m totally loving gray walls these days, so the in thing right now! I’m terrible a t taking the time to prep, I’m so impatient! 🙁

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      July 6, 2015 at 10:50 pm

      That’s okay Michelle… I’m not good at the prep time either! With two people the work goes way quicker… so much easier! I love the gray, it turned out wonderfully! Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  3. Brooke says

    July 6, 2015 at 8:19 pm

    I love painting/repainting rooms! I think I would also love attending SWU 🙂

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      July 6, 2015 at 10:51 pm

      Ha ha! I’m not sure anyone at SWU loved being there! I mean there were cool parts (don’t get me wrong) but work conferences are rarely ALL fun and games! Thanks for stopping by Brooke!

      Reply
  4. Ashlyn {A Mom In Training Blog} says

    July 6, 2015 at 8:42 pm

    Yes! This makes me wanna reprint my living room!! The previous owners had it painted a light blue… It’s not that pretty. Hubby keeps saying we’ll hire someone to do it, but I’m a DIY gal and wanna paint ALL THE WALLS!!!

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      July 6, 2015 at 10:52 pm

      You can totally do it Ashlyn! Hiring someone is easier… but you can rock it! My hubby wasn’t sure about it either but now he’s a pro!

      Reply
  5. SWATI says

    July 6, 2015 at 10:06 pm

    Oh, I have been thinking of re-painting my daughter’s room. This post of your has really helped me to understand the basics to do the job perfectly. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      July 6, 2015 at 10:53 pm

      I’m so glad it helped! Have a blast painting with your daughter… sounds like a fun memory!

      Reply
  6. Shanna says

    July 7, 2015 at 5:51 am

    My mom painted the rooms in our house every other month while we were growing up! I joke now that we actually lost square footage because she painted so much! Haha! Where was this post 10-15 years ago when I was being roped into painting our living room for the 4843184th time!?

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      July 8, 2015 at 7:06 pm

      4843184 times is very ambitious… maybe you can use these tips if you ever need to re-paint again 😉 We grew up in military housing so we were never allowed to paint the stark white walls! Maybe I’m making up for that now!

      Reply
  7. Jenny says

    July 7, 2015 at 7:32 am

    Great tips. I’ve done a lot of painting and find I do better cutting in with a brush and no tape, but if you’ve never done it before, tape is so handy!

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      July 7, 2015 at 9:15 pm

      I totally agree Jenny… I’ve done most of the house without tape but those little corner moldings are killer! Haha! Tape can be awesome if you need it… Or take extra time!

      Reply
  8. kenzie negron says

    July 7, 2015 at 8:44 am

    such an awesome post! thanks for the awesome tips 🙂 xxx, kenz
    http://sincerelykenz.com

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      July 7, 2015 at 9:15 pm

      Thanks Kenzie! I’m so glad you liked it!

      Reply
  9. Heather Serra says

    July 7, 2015 at 9:50 am

    Tape everything! That must be the golden rule because I’ve learned it the hard way too many times. lol. I love the color you chose. My room is actually that same hue. I love it & it goes with just about any decor. Nothing like some fresh paint to really freshen a home up!

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      July 7, 2015 at 9:27 pm

      Definitely the golden ticket! The gray looks amazing… I love how it looks! Thanks for stopping by Heather!

      Reply
  10. Erin- Sixth Bloom says

    July 8, 2015 at 4:58 am

    Wow what great tips…and we are in the process of building and will be painting here VERY soon. We plan to use Sherwin Williams paint too! Thanks for the great article and tips

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      July 8, 2015 at 7:02 pm

      Ohhh building is so much fun! It’s stressful too though, you are very brave! Great choice with Sherwin-Williams paint… I love it! Even though I might be biased!

      Reply
  11. Madge says

    September 5, 2015 at 12:28 am

    A few tricks I’ve learned, to press down tape really well, use a smooth butter knife instead of your finger nails, also they make several inexpensive paint shields, so you don’t have to tape.
    Always have a damp cloth to wipe up speckles and drips as soon as they happen.
    Using a paint pole eliminates going up an down a ladder when rolling.

    If you are going to a dark color, paint your walls first with a tinted primer. and use 2 coats of paint.

    Also I haven’t had much luck with the “1 coat ” paint or the 2 in 1 paint, (paint and primer) primer attracts stains, especially if you have smokers in your house.

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      September 7, 2015 at 12:06 pm

      Hi Madge, thanks for all your fun tips! I love using a butter knife for pressing down tape… I learned that trick in college! Those late night graphic design projects always seemed to include stolen butter knives from the cafeteria! I even kept one in my backpack for a while… until I forgot about it and had it confiscated by the airport security guys. Oops!

      We sell tons of the paint shields at Sherwin-Williams… I don’t love to use them though. I would rather free-hand or tape! To each his own though… my hubby loves his paint shield!

      Also just a bit of insight from a Sherwin-Williams gal… paint and primer in one? It’s a marketing gimmick… the paint will cover better but it’s not the same as using a coat of primer and 1 to 2 coats of paint! I always tell people to go with a primer! Your paint will turn out truer to color, last longer and be easier to clean!

      Thanks for stopping by Hon! I always love to read peoples tips and tricks!

      Reply
  12. Cheryl Adams says

    November 29, 2015 at 12:21 am

    Thanks for your painting tips. I have used some of them in the past and learned a few things I didn’t know. The one thing I was looking for was a better way to paint the ceilings. when you pull the strips off what is the best way to fill those seemed cilings? please let me know if you have a good idea for that . Thanks so much for all your help. I’ll let you know how that works out for me

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      November 29, 2015 at 12:57 am

      Hi Cheryl, once you tape off the walls you would paint the ceiling in the same fashion as the wall. Trim out the edges first and then roll the large middle area! Hope that helps!

      Reply
  13. Gina says

    February 6, 2016 at 9:15 am

    An extension pole for rolling walls is invaluable! It makes us 5’5′ people as efficient as 6 footers!

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      February 7, 2016 at 2:58 pm

      A good extension pole definitely helps… as long as you can control it! I’m always hitting the ceiling! Haha! Thanks for stopping by Gina!

      Reply
  14. Sara Hausman says

    March 10, 2016 at 2:37 pm

    Do you recommend lightly sanding the kitchen walls before painting them? We are painting our kitchen walls red, and I don’t want to mess up and have to redo it. Haha.

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      March 11, 2016 at 12:47 pm

      It depends what is on your walls. If they are glossy (like a varnish or shiny plank) then sanding and using a bonding primer would be perfect. If it’s bare drywall then a drywall primer is the ticket. If it’s already painted then you’re good to go! Just a little tip when painting red walls… White primer or tinting the primer red often leaves your red paint looking pink! Red paint doesn’t cover very well so it picks up a bit of the color underneath… For best results tint your primer light grey! The grey will give the red just enough hide to leave that topcoat true to color. Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions!!

      Reply
  15. Brenda says

    May 22, 2016 at 8:24 pm

    What is an easy to hold cup with an easy to hold strap and where do you get it?

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      May 22, 2016 at 8:57 pm

      The handy paint pal! You can find them at a bunch of different stores (I know we sell them at sherwin williams!), here’s a link if you’d rather prime it up!

      Reply
  16. Tami says

    August 9, 2017 at 12:54 pm

    Great tips! I’m about to paint my new craft room. Can’t wait to get at it but need to do the prep first. My question is if the recommendation is hold the brust vertically when you cut in, how do you cut in at the ceiling/wall edge?

    Also, have you ever used an edge painter pad that you drag horizontally?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      August 10, 2017 at 9:22 pm

      You’ll hold the brush horizontally when cutting in the ceiling… parallel to the surface that you’re cutting into. I have used an edger and they have their charm. Some people love them and some hate them. I find the trick is keeping the little wheels and top edge clear. Roll a little and then wipe clean.

      Good luck!

      Reply
  17. Vicki says

    February 8, 2018 at 5:09 pm

    If you are doing two coats of paint, do you do both coats of cut in, then two coats with the roller? Or one cut in and roll, then second cut in and roll?

    Reply
    • Happily Ever After, Etc. says

      February 11, 2018 at 3:50 pm

      Good question! Do the first coat cut in and then roll into the wet edge, then the second coat the same way: cut in and then roll into the wet edge. You always want to roll into a wet portion of paint. If you roll into dry paint you risk the paint not matching when it dries. Which is a weird concept but true! Good luck!

      Reply
  18. hawaii painters says

    February 25, 2018 at 2:16 am

    Thanks for the heads up. I’m really eager to learn how to paint so I can be able to save money from hiring pro painters.

    Reply
  19. Dawn says

    September 19, 2018 at 5:36 pm

    I’ve enjoyed reading your tips.. Very helpful!!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. What to do with EXTRA Paint! - Happily Ever After, Etc. says:
    September 6, 2015 at 3:13 pm

    […] you’ve been around for a while you know that I work at a little place called Sherwin-Williams… still moving for my new promotion actually! Every day I have people say “A quart is […]

    Reply
  2. July Round Up! - Happily Ever After, Etc. says:
    September 14, 2015 at 3:53 pm

    […] How to Paint like a PRO… Tips and Tricks from Sherwin-Williams University! – Remember that work conference a while back? Well when you work for Sherwin Williams you can expect at least 4 hours of that conference to be painting something! We had an excellent class full of tips and tricks…. which came in handy when the hubby decided we just had to paint! So here’s my best tips on how to paint like a pro… courtesy of SWU… read more! […]

    Reply
  3. 5 Painting Tools Worth Springing for (Advice from a Sherwin-Williams Employee) - Happily Ever After, Etc. says:
    April 1, 2016 at 5:01 am

    […] this would be it… I know, I know. It’s just a little cup! We used one of these when we painted our house last year and they…. are.. awesome! They have an easy to hold strap for climbing up and down ladders […]

    Reply
  4. The ULTIMATE List of Painting Tools! - Happily Ever After, Etc. says:
    June 9, 2016 at 5:01 am

    […] the world of painting tools you need a guide and I’m here to tell you all of my favorite tips and tricks… day in and day out these are the tools I recommend to each and every single customer at my […]

    Reply
  5. A Look Back at our Best 15 Posts of 2016 - Happily Ever After, Etc. says:
    January 9, 2017 at 5:02 am

    […] 1. Ask Sherwin Williams… What are the most Popular Paint Colors? 2. 11 Amazing Free Printables for Your Home 3. 25 Free Printables for Your Home! 4. 15 Fabulous ideas to Organize your Laundry Room 5. DIY Lamp Transformation… How to Color Transparent Glass 6. 7 Tips for a Successful Road Trip Across Country 7. Little Details to Make Your Guest Room More Inviting 8. Curing Overwhelm… 3 Free Motivational Printables 9. Holiday Gift Wrap on a Budget (Plus FREE Printable Gift Tags!) 10. How to Put Together Your Perfect (FREE) Wedding Binder (+ 42 FREE Wedding Printables!) 11. Popular Neutrals for 2016… Is Kilim Beige In or Out? 12. How to Pick a Color Palette for your Entire Home 13. 13 Gray Paint Colors to Make you Swoon! 14. Wall Decor for Your Guest Room… 3 Free Printables 15. How to Paint like a PRO… Tips and Tricks from Sherwin Williams University […]

    Reply
  6. 5 Tips for Painting a Small Bathroom - Happily Ever After, Etc. says:
    November 25, 2019 at 9:07 am

    […] back with another set of painting tips! Our master tips and tricks to paint like a pro post will help you paint almost any room but let’s face it… the bathroom is a special room. It’s small, it gets used […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

sidebar betsy I'm Betsy, Home Decor Enthusiast, Yorkie Mama, Crafter, Blogger, Picky Eater, Chief Mess Maker, Antique Hoarder and Graphic Designer. You can generally find me working on (attacking with a paintbrush) the 3 bed, 2 bath home we are currently renting! Our home might not be perfect but it is ours & if you hang out long enough you'll see that what we lack in know-how we make up for in passion!
Shop My Craft Room

Shop My Home

Featured Articles

15 Fabulous Ideas to Organize your Laundry Room
25 FREE Printables For Your Home!
What to do with EXTRA Paint with Happily Ever After Etc
10 Ways to Make Your Bed EXTRA Comfy with Happily Ever After Etc.
Ready to Pick your Perfect Paint Color? We'll help you with our 6 Day FREE E-Course

Hey y’all,

Profile

I'm Betsy, Home Decor Enthusiast, Yorkie Mama, Picky Eater, Chief Mess Maker, & Graphic Designer...

A Little Note!

Many of the links on Happily Ever After, Etc. are affiliate links. If you purchase a product after clicking an affiliate link, I receive a small percentage of the sale for referring you, at zero cost to you! How awesome is that? Purchasing through affiliate links is an easy, painless way to help out your favorite bloggers. Thank you so much for your continued love and support! Read the full disclosure here!

Instagram

Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 · Darling theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 · Darling Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in · Privacy Policy