What can I use instead of a drop cloth?

What can you use instead of a drop cloth includes many household and inexpensive materials that protect floors and furniture from paint drips when you do not have dedicated canvas or plastic drop cloths. You can use old bed sheets, blankets, or tablecloths to cover floors and furniture, though they may allow paint to bleed through if thin, so double layer or place plastic underneath. Large cardboard boxes flattened out work well for hard floors and create sturdy protection that does not slip. Old newspapers, rosin paper, or builder's paper from hardware store can cover floors and are cheap. Plastic trash bags or plastic sheeting from hardware store, such as 1 mil plastic, can cover furniture, though slippery on floors. Shower curtains, old curtains, or tarps from camping can be repurposed as drop cloths. For small areas, flattened paper grocery bags or old towels work. Painter's plastic or Visqueen is inexpensive alternative. If you have nothing, move furniture out and cover with old clothes. For best protection, use thick materials that absorb drips and do not allow bleed-through, and avoid thin sheets alone on carpet. Many DIYers use combination, such as cardboard on floor edges and sheets over furniture.