7 Cheap Hacks to Keep Paint Fresh in the Art Room for Weeks!

Do you waste a lot of paint in your art room? We have solutions to extend your paint’s lifespan, prevent it from drying out, and help you save your budget! Discover these free and super cheap hacks with Marina Alfera, Jackie Jablecki, and Sacha Burdick to make painting smooth and stress-free.

Here are seven hacks to keep your paint fresh:

1. Use tin foil sheets as a lid, label palettes, and line palettes for no-wash cleanup. 
2. Let acrylic paint dry on the palettes for students to enjoy a satisfying peel!
3. Try plastic egg cartons with lids for liquid tempera.
4. Grab plastic ice cube trays with lids for liquid watercolors.
5. Order single-serve dressing cups with lids for custom colors.
6. Recycle paper egg cartons and cover with damp paper towels.
7. Save plastic paint-by-number pots for individual students’ custom colors.

See more of Marina’s day in the elementary art room:

• Catchy Art Classroom Management Systems (Ep. 6) 
• Hacks for a Traveling Elementary Art Teacher with Marina Alfera (Ep. 18) 

See more of Jackie’s day in the middle school art room:

• Dear Sketchbook 

For more paint hacks, watch these videos:

• STOP! Why You Shouldn’t Give Students Every Paint Color in the Art Room 
• Paint Smarter, Not Harder: 8 Art Teacher Hacks You’ll Love 
• Easy Acrylic Paint Storage Idea for Middle School Art & Color Theory Projects

To chat about how to make your paint last with other art teachers, join us in The Art of Ed Community!