We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

We all know that getting gear for your garage that’s functional and affordable should always be your first priority. This is one of the main reasons why so many people choose to stock their work spaces with supplies from Harbor Freight in the first place. The company’s reputation for value-oriented retail is well known. That said, sometimes utilitarianism needs to take a back seat so you can make your space look nice too. Having matching equipment can add a layer of cohesiveness to a space that makes it feel cleaner, more organized, and more professional than a chaotic scattering of colors from various brands.

There’s just one problem, Harbor Freight sells products from a variety of different company-owned brands and a lot of them utilize different color schemes from each other. This means that the company that sells your padded stool might be one color, while the one that sells your tool box might be another.

The company recognizes that people want a bit more variety and has started offering its popular mini-toolboxes in a wider variety of colors. That said, there are a few different ways that you can change up the colors of the gear you already have. One Redditor has shared a trick for using vinyl dye to color match his Icon seats to his U.S. General tool boxes. This isn’t the only method available either. There are several other tricks for coloring different types of surface materials to match your other Harbor Freight equipment as well.

The Reddit post in question was posted by a user who goes by the name JasperDyne. It has an image attached that features two sets of U.S. General tool boxes that are painted in the company’s iconic blueish purple as well as two seats that have been dyed to match. “My OCD got the better of me,” he stated in the post. “Got tired of waiting for the Icon Shop Seat and Pittsburgh Shop Stool to come in purple to match my 5-Drawers, so I used some vinyl dye to get the job done.” Many of the commenters on the post were eager to point out how professional the pieces looked, stating that they didn’t look like DIY projects at all and appeared as if they had been shipped from the factory that way.

Both the Icon Professional Adjustable Shop Seat with Tool Storage and the Pittsburgh Adjustable Shop Stool with Backrest are available in four different colors: red, black, blue, and green. This means that users have a few options if one of those colors works with their current set up and they want to save themselves some effort. That said, this vinyl dye technique appears to be quite effective. The blue is already fairly close to the purple color seen in the image, but JasperDyne claims that they were originally redwhich suggests that the dye is quite adept at covering different colors.

In a lower post, JasperDyne explained his process in detail. He started by deglossing the original upholstery with 400-grit sandpaper, then degreasing and cleaning it, then masking off the metal areas, before applying a spray on vinyl dye intended for boat upholstery. He even shared a link to the SEM Marine-brand spray that he used for his project.

This technique seems to be a great option for anyone looking to re-color vinyl upholstery, but what about other items in the shop? There are plenty of non-vinyl materials that users may wish to change as well.

Metal is going to be one of the most common materials that you’re likely to come across. JasperDyne even mentioned in his post that he has a mini toolbox and a rolling cart that he intends to paint as well. You probably don’t want to just use standard acrylic or latex spray paint for these kinds of items, however, as they can scratch easily and are much harder to clean. Instead, you’ll want to opt for an oil-based glossy enamel-based paint. This is the kind of paint that’s going to give you that hard, shiny, glass-like surface that allows drawers to slide easily and is resistant to scratching. When applied properly, it’s smooth finish is also easy to wipe clean from spills. It’s worth noting, however, that these have long drying times and can produce heavy fumes while wet.

Those looking to coat plastics, rubber and other, more flexible materials might consider something like Plasti Dip. This is a rubber coating that protects and colors most substances, giving them a softer and more grippy texture. Dipping tool handles in Plasti Dip is a popular DIY method for giving them a more comfortable grip. Both the dip and the spray are available in a wide range of colors and, according to the company’s website, hardware stores also sell colorant that can be added to Plasti-dip in order to achieve custom colors. They claim that approximately ⅓ of a 1 oz. tube is enough to tint a 14.5 oz. can of Plasti Dip.