Most Common Paint Brush Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

If you’re more comfortable with a brush but feel like your DIY projects aren’t turning out right, don’t worry, I’ve got you! Knowing these most common paint brush mistakes and how to avoid them can save you a ton of time and make your painted furniture look fantastic in the end!

And don’t miss more of our painting techniques for furniture here for all the tips and tricks for successful furniture makeovers. Now, let’s find out what these mistakes are!

Using a paintbrush for furniture is such a beginner friendly way to start painting! Brushes are super easy to grab and straightforward to use, and they don’t come with settings that you have to figure out, like a paint sprayer. Here’s a more detailed comparison of spray paint vs brush paint furniture.

But using a paintbrush does come with its challenges. If not used right, you can end up with visible brush strokes or even a streaky finish. Learn how to paint furniture without brush marks from my guide here. You can also waste a lot of time and paint if you don’t know how to properly load it or apply the paint evenly.

So in this post, we’ll look more into these most common paint brush mistakes that people make and how you can avoid them. With the right tips and a little practice, you’ll get that flawless, pro finish.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I also may earn from other qualifying purchases with other companies or get free product to review and use. All opinions are my own.

Buying Cheap Paintbrushes

I used to paint with brushes from the dollar store. And those paintbrushes, every 30 seconds or so, another bristle would fall into my paint. So I would have to try to get that bristle out of my painted finish.

And that’s so frustrating because I would have to dig it out, and then I’d have to go back over that area, so you wouldn’t see my finger mark on there. I would also have bristles that sometimes, I didn’t see them, and so they got left in there. Later, that would look really bad and sloppy.

And then on top of that, these brushes don’t hold much paint. That means you have to keep going back and loading your brush over and over and over. And so it makes your project take a lot longer.

So, instead of using a cheap option, these Zibra paintbrushes are only $10 each. They are fantastic! They do not shed, and they hold so much paint. And they are high quality that you can use over and over and over and over for years.

I have had some of my Zibra paintbrushes for probably 8 years. I still have my very first Zibra brush that I ever got, and I still use it. These will last forever, so just spend $10 and get a good quality option to begin with.

If you need more options, I listed my recommendations for the best paint brushes for painting furniture here and the best chalk paint brushes here.

Using the Wrong Brush

The next common mistake is using a flat brush when you’re working on round details, curves, or crevices. Flat brushes do not bend the right way when you are painting round edges, and so you have to keep going over and over the same area to be able to get the paint into all of the details.

Instead, grab the Zibra pointed round brush. This is my go to! The point makes it so that you can get a little bit further into the details. If you have like a scrolly detail that there’s not very much space in between it, that point will help you get into that area.

And then the round shape just helps glide over the round and curved details, and you will only have to go over that area once or twice, compared to, like, sometimes, 4 or 5 times with a flat brush. See how I used it in this post on the easiest way to paint furniture without sanding.

You can also learn the fastest way to paint grooves and details in this post!

Cleaning Brush Between Coats

The next mistake is cleaning it out in between every single coat. There is an easier way! Instead of spending 5 to 10 minutes for cleaning, or just letting it sit and dry, wrap it in either plastic wrap, Press ‘N Seal, tin foil, or a Ziploc bag; whatever you have to do to cover that brush.

You can throw it into the fridge, and it will last a very long time that way. It will stay damp, and so it will not ruin your paintbrush. Then you can use it again on the next coats.

The only caveat to this is that after you’ve been brushing for a while, some paint will start to dry in it, like on the top edges, and sometimes that makes it start painting a little bit funny.

At that point, yes, it is best to wash out your paintbrush. But you don’t have to clean it out completely if you’re gonna keep painting the same color. Check out my detailed guide on how to clean paint brushes here.

Applying Thick Coats

The last common mistake is brushing the paint on super thick. So you dip your paintbrush into the paint can, and then it is fully loaded, right?

First of all, you don’t wanna dip it clear into where the metal part meets the paint. You want to leave a good space in between. You also don’t need that much paint. Because if you grab that much and then you slop it onto your furniture, it’s just gonna be way too much, and you’re gonna get drips, runs, and puddles.

Instead, dip it just an inch into the paint, and then, kind of scrape off one side of it as you bring it out of the container, to remove some of the paint on that side of the brush. That way, you have a half loaded paintbrush, and you don’t have too much on it that will cause drips and runs.

Yes, you’ll have to load your paintbrush more often, but this will help you avoid the drips and runs, and avoid getting the paint too thick. You really want to have thin coats, so your paint also doesn’t crack while it is drying. But are you tired of brush marks? This fix changes everything!

So those are the most common paintbrush mistakes, but now you know how to avoid them! Keep these tips in mind for your next project, and your results will turn out even better. Happy painting!

More Painting Furniture Tips

• Spray Polyurethane VS Brush On Polyurethane
• Why Your Paint Doesn’t Work (Even When You Try to do Everything Right)
• No Sanding Furniture Paint Hack
• How To Paint Metal Furniture With A Brush
• 3 Painting Furniture Hacks You’ll Wish You Knew Sooner

Follow us on YouTube to get more tips for painting furniture. Or share your project with us on our Facebook Group and be part of our community. See you there!