Your kitchen cabinets suffer a lot of wear and tear on a daily basis. Oils, grease, stains, and scratches often appear on cabinets and counters long before you may even want to consider replacing them. If you are embarrassed by your kitchen, but can't spend a lot of money, a good solution might be to invest in some newly painted kitchen cabinets.

Maybe you just bought a new house and you don't like the colors or look of the cabinetry. Maybe your home's previous owners had wildly different decorative tastes and you'd rather have your kitchen reflect your personality and lifestyle. Or maybe your kitchen has seen better days and is in need of a facelift. No matter what your situation is, you can easily get the results and look you want in less time than you think.

Of course, the prospect of painting kitchen cabinets certainly appeals to the avid do-it-yourselfer, but you may be worried about the skill and tools that you will need to complete the job. You'll save a lot of cash by taking the DIY route, but you'll need to do a little research before you get started. Gathering the tools you'll need and following these step-by-step instructions will help you to get the look you want in no time.

The first thing you will want to do is prep your cabinet doors by cleaning them thoroughly. Using a cleaner that's designed to eliminate grease is ideal as this will ensure that the paint will adhere to, and spread evenly over, the surface. After you have cleaned and dried the cabinets, you will need to sand them using fine-grained sandpaper. This will make it easier for the primer to adhere to the surface of the cabinet.

The next step is to apply primer to the cabinets. Primer will help form a bond between the cabinet and the paint and will prevent the previous color, stain, or wood grain to show through to the surface. Make sure to check with your local hardware store to verify that your primer and choice of paint are compatible.

Lastly, go ahead and paint your cabinets. Depending on the type of paint and the color, you may need to put a few coats on the doors to create the look you want. Once the paint has fully dried, go ahead and reinstall your painted kitchen cabinets and enjoy the new atmosphere this fresh look creates!