How to Paint Vertical Blinds

Getting Your Blinds Ready

Take your blinds down. When you paint your blinds, they need to be on a flat surface so you don't drip paint everywhere, which means you need to take them down. Alternatively, you may want to hang them up outside to paint to reduce the mess. Either way, you need to take them down from their indoor location. Usually, individual slats will unhook from the top.

Remove the fabric insert from fabric blinds. Some vertical blinds have a fabric insert, while others are just fabric on one side and vinyl on the other. If yours have the insert, pull it out before you start painting. You may need to slip a credit card between the slat and the fabric to get it going.

Wash your blinds thoroughly. If your blinds have been hanging up for any length of time, they likely have dirt and grime on them. Wash them with soapy, warm water. Dish soap works well for this purpose. It can be easier to take them outside to scrub. Some blinds are machine washable. Check the tag to make sure yours are. Coil them together in a pillowcase, and put them in the washing machine with a few towels. Use the gentle cycle, warm water, and detergent.

Let the blinds dry. Before painting, your blinds will need plenty of time to dry. If they're fabric, you may want to let them dry overnight. Lay them out flat, and turn them over after a few hours so both sides can dry. For vinyl blinds, you can wipe them down to speed up the process. The blinds should be completely dry before you start painting.

Using Spray Paint

Pick a spray paint. If you have fabric blinds, you should pick a spray paint meant for fabric, which you can find at a craft store. If you have vinyl or a combination of vinyl and fabric, pick a multi-surface spray paint.

Hang up the blinds outside. When using spray paint, it's easiest to paint the blinds when they are hanging up. However, you want to do it outside, as it can be very messy. Try hanging them on a clothesline or even nailing or hanging individual blinds to the fence. If you nail up your blinds, drive a nail into the fence and then hang the blinds by the hole at the top, where you'd normally place them on the hook. If you're worried about getting spray paint on your fence, place something behind the slats such as a tarp or cardboard. Obviously, this will only work on wooden fences. Use clothespins to hang them on the line. If you don't have a backyard, you can lay them flat. Just make sure to use a well-ventilated area. Pick a day that isn't windy or humid.

Spray the blinds down. Spray a light coat up and down each blind. Wait for it to dry before applying another coat. You'll need 2 to 3 coats to get the blinds evenly coated. You don't want to use a thick coat because the paint can run or bubble. You may need to flip the blinds top to bottom halfway through so you can get the part that's under the clip at the top.

Let the paint dry. Give the blinds several hours to dry. You may want to leave them overnight if the weather is a little humid. Check for tackiness before hanging the blinds back up.

Stenciling Blinds

Lay the blinds down next to each other. Lay down the number of blinds equal to the width of your stencil. That could be 2 to 4 blinds in a row. Line them up, making sure the ends are even with each other. It can help to tape down the blinds to the surface at the top and bottom using painter's tape.

Tape the stencil at the top with painter's tape. Start at the top of the blinds. Line up the stencil across the blinds, and lay it against the blinds. Secure it with painter's tape, which will come off more easily than regular tape.

Place a small amount of stencil creme on your brush. Use a round stencil brush, and add a tiny bit of paint. You don't want to use too much, as you'll end up with a mess. Dab off any extra paint on a sponge or paper towel. You can buy stencil creme at craft stores. You can also use other vinyl or fabric paints.

Dab the stencil with the brush. Use the brush to lightly dab at the open areas of the stencil, working the paint into the design. Add more paint to your brush as needed. Depending on your stencil, you may not want to fill it in perfectly from edge to edge. A messier look may be more appropriate.

Move the stencil down. As you finish one section, remove the stencil and lift up the painter's tape. Move the stencil down the blinds to a new position, lining it up with what you just painted. Paint the new section. Continue moving it down until you've painted the set of blinds you have laid out.

Repeat for all of your blinds. Lay out your blinds, section by section. Paint each section using this technique until you have the whole set done. Let them dry before hanging them back up. Check the paint to see how long it takes to dry, but you'll likely want to let the blinds dry overnight.