Mixin' Mom: DIY How to Paint Baseboards

So, we are preparing to sell our house. Now we still have a while until we move, but why not start now instead of rushing to finish projects at the end?! I have started the daunting task of painting all of our baseboards and door frames. This Spring I will paint the actual doors since it will be nice outside to have the doors/windows open for them to dry. So far I have completed the first floor, staircase, and almost done with our entire bedroom (I will finish it tonight - hubby has some heavy furniture to move for me!). I feel like this project is taking a while, but really it takes a while to actually set up the area to paint! If you have hardwood floors, you will need to apply painters tape to the floor and the wall, above and below the baseboard. If you have carpeted floors, you will need to apply painters tape to the wall and packing tape to your carpet.

*Packing Tape Tip: When using the packing tape to protect your carpets, also use a butter knife. Place the packing tape about 1/4" over the bottom of the baseboard and use the butter knife to wedge it under the baseboard, while keeping your carpet protected.

Make sure you wash your baseboards before you paint them, I have been going over mine with Lysol wipes. You can apply two coats of white paint if you like. I have only applied one coat, unless the area has some bad staining/old paint that has gotten on the baseboards. The house looks SO much better and I am so glad I am doing this!

*Paintbrush Tip: To ensure your paintbrush doesn't dry up with paint on it, (since this project takes so long) make sure to wrap up your paintbrush tightly with cling wrap. This will keep your brush moist and pliable.

Supplies

- White paint, semi-gloss
- 1 1/2" paint brush
- Lysol wipes, or sponge with soapy water to clean baseboards