Tips for Painting Blinds Like a Pro

Yes, you can paint window blinds! I'm sharing all my tips for spray painting blinds instead of replacing them to save time and money!

White vinyl or faux wood blinds can become yellowed and dirty looking from years of sun damage. Luckily, there's an easy fix!

With just a few cans of spray paint, you can change the look of your window coverings without spending a fortune on new blinds!

These vinyl window blinds have seen better days. The back of the white slats had turned a gross yellow color, and they were pretty dirty too!

Before I spent a ton of money replacing them, I decided to do a little experiment first. I've painted kitchen cabinets, a tile backsplash, and even a tile floor before. Why not try painting blinds instead of throwing them away?

Here's how I did it!

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Materials Needed for Painting Blinds

• Vinyl or wood blinds
• Cleaning supplies for washing blinds
  • I used dish soap, warm water and a regular sponge.
• Sandpaper (optional)
• Drop cloth or plastic tarp
• Spray paint
  • Check the can to see if it will adhere to plastic!

How to Paint Window Blinds

The video below shows you how easy it is to spray paint your blinds!

Remove the Slats (optional)

You don't necessarily need to remove the slats from the strings, but I think it gives a cleaner result. Painting the strings will make them less flexible, and they may not work as well when you raise and lower them.

Luckily, these blinds are pretty easy to remove from the strings. They're held in place at the notches, but slide out easily.

If your strings are threaded through the slats, you'll have to paint everything together. But I've seen some people get great results this way, so it does work!

Wash the Slats

Once all the slats were removed from the strings, I took them out to the backyard for a quick scrub. Just fill a bucket with warm, soapy water and clean off years of grime!

Give them a quick rinse with the hose, then leave them in the sun to dry. You could also do this in a bathtub (and you wouldn't have to deal with all the grass stuck to the slats like I did!)

Lightly Sand the slats (optional)

If your slats are really slick and smooth, you might want to rough them up a bit with sandpaper so the paint adheres properly. Mine had a bit of a texture to them, so I skipped this step.

Spray Paint the Blinds

Put down a drop cloth or tarp, then lay out the slats. If you can't remove the strings, hang the entire set of blinds and protect the area from overspray.

Make sure you have enough space between all the slats on the ground so you can paint the edges at the same time.

I like to use this handle on the spray paint can. It gives better control over the spray, and prevents my hands from getting painted in the process!

Use long, steady passes to apply a thin, even coat down the entire length of the slat. Get more tips on how to get a flawless spray paint finish here!

Once the first side is dry, flip them over and repeat the process. Make sure that you put them back in the same void they left on the drop cloth.

I wasn't careful about this at first, and some overspray stuck to the finished side. I thought I had ruined them, but rubbing them with a damp paper towel took the flakes right off. Whew!

Slide the Slats Back into the Strings

Make sure the paint is fully cured before putting them back into the strings. The spray paint can should say how long that will take, but it's usually a couple hours.

It's a little time consuming to get all the slats back in the notches and facing the same way. Laying the blinds down on the table make it easier because there's less tension on the strings.

Attach blinds to window brackets

These blinds easily click back into their brackets, then the cornice piece pops right on top!

Test to make sure the cords work correctly, and all the slats are seated in the strings at the right angle.

Enjoy Your Newly Painted Blinds!

Painting blinds is such a cheap and easy way to update your existing window coverings! Mine look brand new, and it only cost me a couple cans of spray paint!

We have a few more sets of blinds like these throughout the house, and they'll all be getting a fresh coat of paint. I'm so glad we didn't just throw them away!