Simple & Cheap Ways to Paint Kitchen Cabinets

The simplest and cheapest method of painting cabinets is to add a fresh coat of paint in a single color. Check the pre-mixed paints that people have returned to see if any of the colors would look good on your cabinets. Pre-mixed paints are discounted from regular retail price. Josh Garskof, an editor of "This Old House Magazine," recommends using different types of paint for different types of wood. Some finishes may need to be prepped with a light sanding.

If you'd like to take kitchen cabinet doors and make them look distressed, you have a couple of options. You can either apply glaze and then wipe most of it off, creating an antique effect. Your other option is to buy paint that is a shade or two darker than your current cabinets and brush it on over the current paint, allow to dry and sand lightly to create worn areas.

Crackling glaze offers that distressed look without as much work. The crackling effect is built into the paint. Simply brush it on and as it dries, it will begin to crackle. There are several things you can do with this type of paint. You can paint a metallic or warm color underneath that will peak out beneath the crackles, or you can simply paint it over the existing color. For heavy crackling, use a heavy coat of glaze. For slight crackling, use a thinner coat of glaze.

Stencils are a great solution when you want to spruce up plain cabinets without spending much money. Add flowers to bottom cabinets, create a plaid pattern in the center panel, or any other design your imagination and available stencil patterns can create. Instead of purchasing enough paint to cover every cabinet, you'll only need enough paint to create the design. Acrylic paint applies well to most finishes. However, you may want to seal with a glaze or clear coat for easy cleaning.