31 Days of Character Building: Painting Stripes Tutorial

Welcome to Day 11 of my 31 Day Series, Building Character.  

A very easy and inexpensive way to bring character to a boring space is to use paint.  Yesterday, I shared my simple silhouette mural tutorial.  Today, I would like to share how I painted the stripes in my boys' room...


 I chose to use stripes in this space to compliment the nautical theme.

Stripes are not just for kids.  Pinterest is a great source for inspiration if you are considering using stripes to add personality to a space.  This image is a great representation of sophisticated stripes:

(Source)

You can imagine that the room would be pretty boring without them. The wide gray and white stripes add graphic interest and drama to an otherwise uninteresting space. 

The Tutorial:

There is definitely a trick to painting stripes.  I have found this technique works the best:

1. Paint your base wall color (I chose navy blue).  Let Dry.

2. Mark your stripe widths using a level and a piece of chalk.

3. Tape off your stripes with painters tape by following the chalk markings.

***Here is the secret for perfect stripes***

4. Using a sponge roller, paint over the tape and the area in between the tape with the base wall color (in this case, navy blue).  This step is crucial for crisp clean lines with no seepage.  Let Dry.

5. Using the color you have chosen for your stripes (in my case white and red) fill in the area in between the tape to create your stripes.  

6. After the paint has dried completely, remove the tape.  Wipe away the chalk markings with a slightly damp wash cloth.

Tomorrow, I will be sharing another painting technique I used in my home. See you then!

To view the entire 31 Day Series, Please Click Here.

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