Get Hooked on This Repurposed Paint Brush Idea

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If you’re a crafter or like to DIY then you’ve probably got a stash of old paint brushes lying around somewhere. Maybe they keep on losing their bristles or they’ve gone hard after you’ve left them in some mysterious concoction for too long. It happens often here 😉 I get so involved in creating something and completely forget to clean the paint brushes when I’m done. In fact, it’s not unusual to find a paint brush in the fridge and I have on the odd occasion been known to wander aimlessly around the mall with a wet paint brush, or two stuck behind my ear. I plead the 5th. Anyways, I needed to find a way to repurpose some of them. Meet my stash of unsavable paint brushes and the adorable new addition to our family. EeeeeDeeeee Riley Pipsquick The Third. My daughter named her 😀 Isn’t she just too cute?

 

She’s a Jack Russell crossed with a UFB, or Unidentified Fur Baby for those of you that don’t know 😉 Apparently she comes from a long line of UFB’s, hence the very important suffix “The Third”. Speaking of three’s, I grabbed three of those well-loved paint brushes and decided if I repurposed them they’d make these pretty awesome hooks.

 

Wanna see how I made them? Oh good. But before we get to the tutorial, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And don’t forget to subscribe below so you’ll never miss a post!

How to Repurpose a Paint Brush Into a Hook

This is a really easy repurpose idea and you can customize the paint brush hooks to suit your own decor. You’ll need:

• Old paint brushes
• Thick, sturdy wire and pliers
• Paint in any color you like. We used flat black spray paint and some copper leaf.
• Mod Podge or Glue or Varnish or any of that other stuff that normally makes a paint brush hard. Resin works too.

Wipe the paint brushes with some vinegar and water to remove any traces of oil and then dip the bristles in the hardener. We used  Hard Coat Mod Podge but wood glue and exterior varnish will work too. Basically, anything that makes the bristles hard.  If you already have a few of those lying around you can skip this step 😉

 

Leave the brushes to dry fully before painting them. I really loved the rusty bits on two of the brushes so I masked them off before spraying the brushes with flat black spray paint.

 

Nothing is sacred from my paintbrush Click to Tweet

Once the paint is dry, use a sharp skewer or pliers to lift the metal bracing that holds the paintbrush bristles in place just a little bit. That’s where the hooks will go.

 

Time to Get Creative

I wanted the paintbrush hooks to look like they’ve been dipped in molten copper, so I masked off the handle and a portion of the bristles, before applying some spray adhesive and copper leaf. I love the stuff and a little bit goes a long way.

 

All that’s left to do is to make the hooks using a piece of wire. Just measure how long the hooks need to be and double it. Cut the wire, fold it in half using your pliers and then bend it to form a hook. Spray them to match the paint brushes.

 

Use strong all-purpose glue like E 6000 to glue the hooks into the back of the paint brushes.

 

Attach them to a piece of wood or onto the bottom of a small shelf and you’re done.

 

To make the little shelf, the hubby just used some of the offcuts we had leftover from making our HOME shelf, which he cut into two equal lengths before gluing and screwing them together. After sanding it down he used the same flat black spray paint to give the shelf two quick coats before lightly distressing the edges.

 

BTW that beautiful young lady is my Mom when she was about 7 years old. I’ve always loved that picture of her, so sweet and innocent. She’s still sweet but the innocent part has long since left the building.

If you like the idea of repurposing paint brushes into hooks, don’t forget to pin it for later

 

Sharing is caring 😉

 

I’d love to know what you think of the paintbrush hooks and if you have any other ideas on how they can be repurposed. I’ll probably have a few more quite soon 😉 And if you’re looking for more crazy hook ideas then you’re going to love these:

• BIG concrete button hooks
• Scotty bum leash holder
• Teeny tiny hooks

If you’re keen to make something similar I’ve added some affiliate links below, so you don’t need to try and figure out where we got everything. Disclosure: If you click on the links below, we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry, it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us buy new brushes when I forget to clean them 😉

And if you prefer to buy rather than DIY, then maybe these beauties will appeal.

And as always, wishing you a wonderful, crafty week filled with lots of love. Thank you for popping in for a visit.

Last update on 2026-08-16 / Source Amazon Affiliates