How to Paint a Bedroom Mural

Painting a mural is an exciting way to decorate a room. Once you have transferred the design to the wall, the rest is easy!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Using an Overhead Projector to Transfer the Mural Design

1. Select a design that you would like to paint on your wall. The design can be one that you have drawn yourself or one that you have found on a greeting card, in a coloring book, or from another source.

2. Make a color copy of the image you have selected to use as a reference when you are painting.

3. Make a black and white photocopy of the image. Use the copy machine to enlarge the image to a size at which you can easily see all the details.

4. Make a black and white transparency of your design. Ask the clerk at the copy store to help you.

5. Place the transparency on an overhead projector.

6. Turn the projector on and project the design onto the desired wall area.

7. Move the projector closer to or further from the wall until the design is positioned correctly and is the desired size.

8. Mark the position of the projector on the floor with masking tape in case you need to move the projector before you have finished transferring the design.

9. Outline the design on the wall carefully with pencil.

Using a Grid to Transfer the Mural Design

10. Select and prepare your mural design, following steps one through three above.

11. Draw a grid over the photocopy ofyour design and enlarge it onto a piece of butcher paper. See "How to Enlarge a Drawing Using a Grid" in the related eHows.

12. Cut each image in the design out of the butcher paper with scissors, beginning with the largest.

13. Use masking tape to fasten the cut paper images to the wall in the desired location.

14. Trace around each paper image carefully with a pencil.

15. Cut out any shapes that are inside the large paper images; a butterfly's spots or windows on a bus.

16. Tape these smaller shapes in the appropriate location inside the larger outlines.

17. Trace around the smaller shapes with a pencil.

18. Sketch in additional details, refering to the photocopy of your design.

Painting the Mural Design

19. Select acrylic paint colors for your mural by referring to the color copy of your design.

20. Pour each paint color into a plastic container.

21. Use a wide flat paintbrush to paint in the large areas of your design first.

22. Blend and shade colors by painting one color on top of the other before the bottom color has had a chance to dry.

23. Use a round paintbrush to add details and outline images.

Tips & Warnings

• If you used an overhead projector to transfer your image to the wall, you can use it to redraw details on your design that may have been covered with paint.
• Make sure that the image you are using doesn't have a copyright. Copy stores will not allow you to photocopy copyrighted images.
• Position the overhead projector squarely in front of the wall. If it is angled to one side or the other it will distort the projected image.

[Beveronius]

on 3/6/2008 thank you - well said - simple yet effective!

on 2/23/2006 If you don't have access to an overhead projector you can purchase a craft projector at most craft stores for around $20. You then do not need to make a transparency or black and white image of your picture. These projectors will project color and allow you to adjust how large you want the projected image!

on 11/22/2005 If you're not the best painter in the world, or don't want to spend a lot of time, pick an image (or make one yourself) of geometric shapes instead of an actual picture.