If you enjoy paint by numbers, there is a good chance you have a growing collection of half-used paint pots from previous projects. Reds, blues, greens, browns and creams slowly accumulate in drawers and craft boxes. They seem too useful to throw away, but without another numbered canvas to match them, it can be difficult to know what to do with them.
The good news is that those leftover paints can become the starting point for your next painting.
With some inexpensive canvas-textured paper, a printable paint by numbers design and the brushes you already own, you can create new paintings for very little money. It is a great way to practise, experiment with colours and get more value from every paint by numbers kit you buy.
Here is how to turn your leftover paints into your own low-cost DIY paint by numbers projects.
Don’t Throw Away Your Leftover Paint
Most paint by numbers kits provide enough paint to complete the picture with some to spare. How much remains varies considerably. You might finish one pot completely while barely touching another.
Over several kits, that can leave you with a surprisingly useful collection of colours.
Instead of throwing them away, check each pot when you finish a painting. If the paint is still usable, close the lid firmly and keep it.
You don’t need to worry about keeping the original paint numbers in sequence. The number usually relates to that particular design rather than being a universal colour reference.
Instead, think of your collection as a miniature artist’s palette.
You might have:
- several shades of blue and green
- flesh and skin tones
- browns and earthy colours
- greys and blacks
- whites and creams
- bright reds, yellows and oranges
Once you have completed a few kits, there may be enough colours to tackle an entirely new picture.
Start by Checking Your Old Paints
Before beginning, inspect the paints you want to reuse.
Acrylic paint gradually dries when exposed to air. Paint stored with its lid properly closed can remain usable for quite some time, but pots that have repeatedly been left open may become thicker.
Stir each colour gently with a cocktail stick or similar tool.
If it is smooth and creamy, it should be ready to use.
If it has become slightly thick, a very small amount of water may help. Add only a drop at a time and mix thoroughly. Avoid adding lots of water because heavily diluted acrylic paint can lose covering power.
Paint that has become completely hard is unlikely to be recoverable.
This is also a good reason to look after the paints supplied with your current kit. Close each pot as soon as you have finished using it rather than leaving several pots open while you paint.
Buy Canvas-Textured Paper
You don’t necessarily need another prepared canvas to create your next painting.
One particularly useful option is canvas-textured acrylic painting paper.
Search Amazon or your preferred art supplier for terms such as “canvas textured paper for acrylic painting”, “acrylic painting pad” or “canvas paper pad”.
These pads are designed to give some of the feel and texture of painting on canvas without the expense or storage requirements of stretched canvases.
For paint by numbers, look for relatively heavyweight paper intended for acrylic paint. Thin printer paper is not ideal because moisture from acrylic paint can cause it to wrinkle or buckle.
A4 canvas-textured paper is convenient if you have a standard home printer. A3 can provide a much more substantial finished picture, although you will need an A3 printer or another way of transferring the design.
Buying a pad rather than individual sheets can make each project remarkably inexpensive.
Find Free Paint by Numbers Designs Online
The next step is finding something to paint.
Pinterest can be a useful place to discover printable paint by numbers designs, templates and colouring patterns. Search for phrases such as “free printable paint by numbers”, “paint by number template” or “printable numbered painting”.
There are designs covering landscapes, flowers, animals, buildings, abstract pictures and many other subjects.
One important point, though: a picture appearing on Pinterest does not automatically mean it is free to reproduce. Pinterest often links to material created and owned by somebody else.
Check the original source and look for designs specifically offered as free downloads or for personal use. Avoid copying paid designs or commercially protected artwork simply because an image can be saved or printed.
For a personal craft project, there are plenty of legitimately free resources available.
Match the Design to the Paints You Have
Here is where the project becomes interesting.
You probably won’t have exactly the colours specified by the downloadable design.
That doesn’t matter.
Instead of trying to reproduce the original picture perfectly, adapt the picture to the paints available to you.
Suppose your printable design asks for eight shades, but your leftover collection contains twenty different colours. Lay the paints out and group them roughly into light, medium and dark shades.
Then create your own colour key.
For example, if number 1 on the design originally represents pale blue but you have plenty of pale green, use pale green. If number 2 is dark blue and you have dark green, substitute that too.
Suddenly a blue landscape can become a green one.
You are no longer simply following somebody else’s colour choices. You are creating your own version.
Make Your Own Colour Chart
Before committing paint to paper, make a simple swatch sheet.
Put a small dab of every leftover colour onto ordinary white paper and allow it to dry. Write the pot number or your own reference beside each sample.
This is useful because wet acrylic paint doesn’t always look exactly the same once dry.
Arrange your samples from light to dark or group similar colours together.
You can then compare your swatches with the numbered areas of your chosen design and decide which paints will work best.
Don’t be afraid to improvise.
A flower doesn’t have to be red because the original picture shows a red flower. Make it purple. Turn a brown dog into a grey one. Change a blue door to green.
This is your painting.
Print or Transfer Your Design
If your canvas paper is suitable for your printer, you may be able to print the design directly onto it. Check your printer’s specifications first because some printers cannot handle heavy art paper.
Another option is to print the design onto ordinary paper and transfer it.
Graphite transfer paper can be placed between the printed design and canvas paper. Trace the important outlines and numbers with a pencil or stylus and the design will transfer onto the painting surface.
You don’t necessarily need to reproduce every tiny line. The objective is simply to create enough guidance to paint the picture.
Keep the original printed design beside you as a reference.
Create Colours You Don’t Have
Your leftover paints become even more useful when you start mixing them.
You may have ten pots of paint but potentially dozens of colours.
White is particularly valuable. Mixing a little white into a colour creates progressively lighter shades.
For example, one pot of dark blue could potentially provide dark blue, medium blue and pale blue simply by mixing different quantities with white.
You can also experiment with combining colours.
Mix small amounts first. Use an old plate, palette or disposable container rather than mixing directly inside the original paint pot.
Write down combinations you particularly like. If you need to reproduce the same shade later, knowing roughly how you made it can save frustration.
Paint Your DIY Picture
Once the design has been transferred and your colours selected, paint it just as you would a normal paint by numbers kit.
Start with whichever approach you find most comfortable.
Some painters prefer working from the top of the picture downwards. Others complete one colour at a time. Another method is to tackle larger areas first and leave tiny details until later.
Because this project is effectively costing you very little, it is also an excellent opportunity to experiment.
Try thinner layers.
Try blending two neighbouring colours while they are still slightly wet.
Experiment with visible brush strokes.
Add highlights that aren’t marked on the design.
You can even ignore some of the printed boundaries.
Paint by numbers is a brilliant way to relax, but it can also be a stepping stone towards more independent painting.
What Could Your DIY Painting Cost?
The economics are surprisingly attractive.
Your paint is leftover from previous kits, so there is effectively no additional paint cost. You probably already have brushes. A downloadable design may be free for personal use.
Your main expense is therefore the canvas-textured paper.
If you buy a multipack or pad containing numerous sheets, the cost attributable to each individual painting can be very small.
That means your collection of old paints could potentially provide several additional painting projects.
There is another advantage too.
You can use these inexpensive projects to practise techniques without worrying about ruining an expensive kit. Experiment with blending, layering and different brushes on your DIY paintings, then use what you have learnt on your next premium kit.
Look After Your Paints and Brushes
If you want to reuse paint successfully, storage matters.
Always close paint pots firmly after use. Wipe dried paint from around the rim if it prevents the lid from sealing correctly.
Store paints somewhere reasonably cool and away from direct sunlight or radiators.
Your brushes deserve similar attention.
Wash acrylic paint from them promptly using clean water. Don’t leave brushes standing in water for long periods because this can damage the bristles and handle.
A good brush that is cleaned properly can be used for many paintings.
A Great Companion to Your Next Hobby Paint Kit
Reusing leftover paint doesn’t replace the experience of opening a brand-new paint by numbers kit.
A complete kit gives you the professionally prepared design, coordinated colours, painting surface and everything needed to reproduce the intended artwork. Better-quality kits can also provide improved canvas, brushes and presentation.
At Hobby Paint, our Hobby Paint Studio range is designed around exactly that premium experience, with quality materials and distinctive subjects, including British-inspired designs.
But once you’ve finished your painting, there is no reason for the enjoyment to end.
Keep those remaining colours.
Use them for practice pieces. Experiment with colour combinations. Buy a pad of canvas-textured acrylic paper. Find legitimate free-for-personal-use templates online and see what you can create.
Then, when you open your next Hobby Paint Studio kit, you’ll have gained a little more confidence and experience.
Best of all, something that might otherwise have ended up in the bin has helped you create another piece of art.
One kit. More painting. Less waste.
And your next paint by numbers project might cost little more than a sheet of paper.
