Drop Cloth Substitute: Dropcloths can be a hassle.  They slip on hard floors, get bunched up under ladders and are difficult to fit tight to baseboards.  Eliminate the hassel and save time by buying a roll of rosin paper at the home center.  They come 160' long by 3' wide. Roll out, leaving a 1/2" gap from wall, then tape down with blue painter's tape.  Voila!