From the page: The newspaper still has plenty of stories to tell
Idea 8
Paint drop cloths and protection
Professional painters always covered floors and furniture with newspaper before disposable plastic existed — it was the cheapest and most effective protective material on hand. The multiple layers of paper absorb paint splatters and keep them from reaching the surface below, because the paint dries trapped in the paper's fibers before it can pass through.
What you need
- Open newspaper sheets
- Painter's tape or regular adhesive tape
- Scissors
- A little water and a cloth to clean up splatters afterwards
How to make it
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1
Open the full sheets and spread them over the floor with about 10 centimeters of overlap between them — the overlap keeps splatters from running through the gaps.
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2
Secure the seams with painter's tape, which comes off without damaging delicate floors, and tape down the edges near the baseboards too.
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3
In corners and along baseboards, fold the newspaper to follow the contours; folded paper seals better than paper pulled taut.
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4
Cover large furniture the same way, lightly crumpling sheets to fill voids and keep paint from running into the folds.
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5
After painting, wait for the paint in the room to dry before removing — lift the sheets from the inside out, folding the paint inward into the paper.
Finishing touches
for smaller jobs, crumple newspaper sheets and use them as a "texture brush" for cloud effects on still-damp walls. And splatters that have already dried on glass or tile come off easily by rubbing with dampened newspaper — the cellulose acts as a gentle abrasive.
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