Rather than replacing painted ceramic kitchen canisters that no longer match the room’s decor, update them with extra paints and faux-finishing techniques to provide them a distressed appearance. Keep your handiwork limited to the exterior of each canister to ensure the insides remain safe for edible substances.
Cover a work area, preferably outdoors, with paper.
Remove the lid from each canister. Cover the opening of the cylinder with painter’s tape to keep the interior free from dust and paint, and to prevent accidental sanding of the cylinder opening, which may make it unsafe for food. Trim the tape using a craft knife as needed to keep the tape from everything except the top rim of the cylinder.
Place the canisters and lids atop the paper. Sand the outside of each cylinder with fine-grit sandpaper whilst wearing a dust mask. Sand just enough to scuff the paint up slightly and allow it to be more receptive to your fresh coat of paint. Repeat the procedure with each eyelid, sanding just the exterior, not the lower rim or inside. Wipe the canisters and lids with a soft cloth to remove the dust.
Set a huge cardboard box on its side atop the paper. Put one canister within the spray box.
Shake the spray can for a minute or 2; then paint the cylinder by holding the can 12 to 18 inches from it, moving in slow, parallel, overlapping strokes. Establish its lid atop the paper or within the box, top side facing up. Spray the lid in comparable style. Use a paint color different from the first finish, such as black atop white or red.
Rotate both the cylinder and lid after 15 or 20 minutes and paint the missed areas. Allow the paint to dry for half an hour or as recommended on the spray can; subsequently apply a second coat, if needed, allowing it to dry also.
Paint the remaining canisters and lids, as in Steps 6 and 7. Permit all paint to dry for an hour or two.
Sand through some of the top paint layer on each lid and cylinder. When the canisters have embossed or textured details, focus on those areas, since the distressing will probably be more obvious. Wipe the dust away with a soft cloth.