I’ve been accused of painting everything that comes into my house before, and honestly, it’s pretty true. What can I say? I love color! So whenever I see a painting hack that looks like it could save some time (and money buying paint brushes!) I’m interested. Recently, I came across a painting hack that promised an easier process by using a sock to paint and I. Was. Sold. I couldn’t wait to test the hack out and even had the perfect piece to test it on: a bentwood chair, which I recently gave a colorful makeover.
The twirly whirly spirals of the chair can be a little cumbersome to paint with a brush, so this was the perfect way to test-drive what I hoped would be a much more user-friendly painting method. (One of the commenters on the TikTok I saw said it was a “game changer” for stair balusters, which are equally tricky to navigate.)
I followed the TikTok I saw exactly, putting on a nitrile glove before covering my hand in an old sock, dipping it in paint (in my case, primer), and using my hand to brush over the chair with paint. Here’s how it went.
What I Liked About the Sock Painting Hack
It’s great for smooth curves. You can quickly and easily paint around spindles, curves, and weird angles where a flat paintbrush would make it difficult. If I had an entire staircase full of spindles to paint, this would probably be my go-to method for the first few coats of paint, and definitely for stain.
No paintbrush, no problem: There have definitely been times I’ve needed to quickly paint a flat surface and couldn’t find a paintbrush or was all out of foam rollers and I wish I would have known about this method. It’s great for a flat surface that needs a quick coat, or if you want a thin, distressed look. And it can save you a trip to the hardware store!
What I Didn’t Like About the Sock Painting Hack
It was constricting. When I first got the clean sock over the rubber glove, it felt weird and constricting and I absolutely did not like that. This is not a great method for people who have sensory sensitivities or who don’t like the feeling of being constricted.
The absorption wasn’t as good as I expected. I used a pretty thick sock and still didn’t feel like I was able to load it up with the amount of paint I like for application. The first two layers were just too thin. Rather than fighting my way through even more layers, I switched back to using a paintbrush. (You can check out the results here.)
It can come out streaky. Depending on how much pressure you use to apply the paint, you can easily get streaks on your surface. This isn’t a method to use if you’re looking for a beautiful, finished look.
Overall, I’d say this method is best for stain, and it can also work great for paint techniques like whitewashing or distressing. But it’s not what I’ll reach for when I’m working on a beautiful piece I want to showcase in my home. This hack might be helpful in a pinch, but for me, nothing will replace the almighty paintbrush.
This post originally appeared on Apartment Therapy. See it there: I Tried the “Game Changer” Sock Painting Method You’re Seeing Everywhere, and I Have Some Thoughts
