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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:

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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11 comments:

  1. Sigh... Have I mentioned how inspiring you are? I'm trying to tackle stripes in my boys' huge closet. Thanks for this!

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  2. Wow - I bet this takes some patience!

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  3. I love the top one in Navy and Red for a boys room! Come and check out the stripes I painted for my girls room! http://cathhasablog.blogspot.com/2012/01/feature-wall-painted-stripes.html

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  4. I. Love. Your. Blog! I'm always inspired and amazed with the projects you come up with and complete. I'm currently in the process of repainting/redecorating my 15 year old son's bedroom. I want to do a stripe on his walls much like you did for your sons' room. I'm wondering how you determined the placement of the stripes, how wide it is overall, and what order you painted the colors in? Any and all advice would be welcome!
    Thanks!

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  5. Just came across your blog and am loving all the tips! I've promised horizontal stripes to my son and this looks awesome and is the motivation I need to get moving. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by it!
    Thanks and we are excited to follow you! Hope you'll check us out, too!

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  6. I just found your site from pinterest and love the look of these stripes. Could you tell me what the dimensions are? I'd like to do something like this for my son's room.

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  7. Question...did you paint the white then re-tape to paint the red? My son has asked for this same look in his room and I'm trying to figure out how to get two colors without the base color showing through. I appreciate your help!

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    1. Hi Christi! Yes, I painted the white stripes first. After the paint was fully cured, I re-taped for the red. Have fun! Sarah

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  8. I don't know if I'm the only one, but I don't understand the process. I've re-read your instructions several times and I just don't see how you did the stripes. I'm a little special when it comes to instructions (visual learner here). Could you possibly explain the steps a bit more for me, please? By the way, LOVE YOUR BLOG!!

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  9. Love it! What colors did you use for the paint?

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