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Free Printable Paint Can Labels

Modified: Aug 17, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links · 8 Comments

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I love organization. I love it when everything has a place and happily occupies that place. Labels are my friend. Marie Kondo is my spirit animal.

Sadly, my love affair with organization is often thwarted by my nemesis, Real Life.

I'm currently working on a mural for my office which involves 17 colors of paint. (I can't wait to show you Organize your paint cans with these free printable labels!

~This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I'll receive a small commission. Thanks for supporting The Palette Muse!~

The problem for painters

Whether you're painting murals, or just painting one room of your house at a time, you've probably accumulated a few paint cans in your garage. And what's the most important thing you need to know about each can of paint?

Hint: it's not the hex code or the color formula. The most important thing you need to know is which room (or wall) that can of paint has covered.

When you have several rooms painted in similar but different colors, it can be really tough to figure out which can is which just by looking at either the paint spilled down the side, or the somewhat arbitrary paint color names.

If you're like me, and you enjoy painting and moving furniture, this can be a common problem.

Hypothetical situation (sort of): when you rearrange furniture and need to touch up the paint (from where your daughter left smudgy foot prints along the wall at the exact height of her top bunk bed, which also happens to be eye level now that the wall is exposed), you have to try and remember whether the color was Dusty Beige, Soft Whisper, or Pale Dream. And they all look the same in the terrible lighting of your garage.

The easy solution

Enter paint can labels. I printed off several of these and took just a few minutes to go through my paint cans and dab a bit of paint on the label. (That's what the circle at the top of the label is for.) Then I jotted down the room, color, and sheen.

Now, when I'm trying to choose between three different pale shades, I can easily find the one that's labeled "Front Bedroom" and get to work, instead of painting three different swatches on the wall to figure out what I'm looking at.Easy to use, Free printable paint can labels

The footprints that defy gravity disappear in just minutes, once you uncover the right can of paint.

Get your free printable paint labels!

I made these labels round so they can go on the top or side of a gallon paint can. And I had extra room left on the page, so I threw in a few more options too, for smaller paint cans.

(If you put the label on the side of your paint can, make sure it's not the side that you pour from, otherwise your label will end up covered in paint drips!)

You have two choices for downloading:

  1. Either download the PDF version of these labels following the instructions at the end of this post and print it on full sheet Avery label paper (or similar), then simply cut out the labels. (Keep in mind Avery labels come in Inkjet and Laser printer format, so make sure you get the right kind for your printer.)
  2. Or if you have a Silhouette machine, email me for the SVG print & cut file. (I'm happy to share it, but WordPress won't let me upload it.) This works with the Avery labels, and the Silhouette sticker paper.

Pro tip: Keep a few extra labels printed out on the shelf next to your paint, so when you buy a new can, your labels are ready to use!Keep all your paint cans organized with these easy labels. Free Printable!

Get your FREE Printable:

Sign up for The Palette Muse Newsletter and get access to all my free printables, including this one!

If you’re already a subscriber, click over to the Free Printables Library to find the download. You’ll need the password at the bottom of any of my emails.

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Comments

  1. Kristy Callahan says

    April 29, 2017 at 10:00 am

    Love organizing ideas!

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      May 19, 2017 at 9:10 am

      Thanks Kristy, me too! Now if I could just implement a few of them... 😉

      Reply
  2. Jeri Walker (@JeriWB) says

    May 02, 2017 at 11:04 am

    Your office mural sounds amazing 🙂 I have fewer colors on my walls than I used to, but your labels are a good idea to help keep things straight.

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      May 19, 2017 at 9:11 am

      Thanks Jeri, labels are great for everything!

      Reply
  3. DC @ Young Adult Money says

    May 06, 2017 at 11:57 am

    This is genius! I always get frustrated with our leftover paint cans as I can never seem to remember was used for which room, and it gets tough to see the information that was originally printed on it. I will share this on my "Life Hacks" Pinterest Board!

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      May 19, 2017 at 9:12 am

      Thank you DC! I'm the same way, and I know I'm wasting time and money when I can't find what I need. Thanks for sharing too!

      Reply
  4. Susan Cooper says

    May 09, 2017 at 8:38 am

    I'm so happy you posted this. It's incredibly useful for other things as well. YAY!!!

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      May 19, 2017 at 9:12 am

      Thanks Susan, I'd love to do a whole series of label posts someday!

      Reply

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Welcome!

I'm Meredith, the designer, crafter, and DIY-er behind The Palette Muse. I love all things colorful and creative, and I love sharing them with you. Thanks for visiting today!

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