How To Paint Stripes On A Wall

Give your walls the look of wallpaper without paying the price by learning how to paint stripes on a wall. A striped wall adds a bit of visual interest to a room without being over powering. You can choose to paint thin or thick stripes on a wall, depending on how dramatic you want it to look. Vary the size of the stripes to make your walls even more fun and interesting.

To paint stripes on a wall, you will need:

• Primer
• Paint roller or brush
• Ladder
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Painter's tape
• Paint in your choice of colors
• Two paint brushes

1. Apply a coat of primer to the wall to cover over the old paint job. Let the primer dry overnight.
2. Draw the stripes on the wall. Use a ruler to draw straight lines either horizontally or vertically across the wall. You can make the stripes as wide or as thin as you like, but try to keep the widths even. Stripes on a wall shouldn't be less than four inches wide or else the wall will be too distracting. Try to keep the stripes under twelve inches wide as well.
3. Place the painter's tape along the inside edge of every other stripe, so that you do not get paint in them. Paint every other stripe, the ones without painter's tape, one color. Let the paint dry overnight, then remove the painter's tape.
4. Apply the painter's tape to the inside edge of the stripes you just painted. Paint the unpainted stripes using the other color, then let dry overnight. Remove the tape when dry.