How to Disguise Paint Mishaps

Painting mistakes happen. Here are some tips to disguise those inevitable mishaps.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Wallpaper Border
• Wallpaper Trim
• Other Wall Trim (decorator tape, braid, or ribbon)
• Specialty Paint Supplies (for sponging, stippling, feathering, raging, or whatever form chosen)
• Ceiling Texture
• Ceiling Glitter
• Accent Rugs
• Replacement Carpeting
• Peel and Stick or Rub-On Appliques
• Cabinet Hardware
• Paint
• Paintbrushes
• Wall Mural

1. Cover up any lines that are left between paint on the wall and the ceiling with wallpaper border or trim such as decorator tape or fabric trim (such as braid or ribbon).

2. Hide paint matching mistakes with wall color by adding a specialty paint treatment like sponging, stippling, feathering or ragging another color on top of everything. On top of hiding the mistakes, the treatment will add dimension and texture to the wall.

3. Incorporate painting mishaps into hand-painted designs or murals that are added to the wall.

4. Cover up painting mishaps on a wall with wallpaper or a wall mural. It isn't necessary to do the whole room the same way. Instead, just let the repaired wall serve as an accent to the remainder of the room.

5. Add texture and/or glitter to a ceiling that contains paint mistakes. Not only will it cover up any mishaps, it will add a different look to the room.

6. Disguise inaccuracies that often happen when painting trim around doors and windows. Cover them by bordering the wall trim with wallpaper tape or fabric accents like braiding or roping.

7. Cover up accidental paint splotches that won't come out of the carpet with accent rugs. If there are several such places around the perimeter of the room, consider doing a a cut-out of a section of the spoiled carpeting around the entire room. Then put down, in its place, a different color, shade, texture or type of accent carpeting. In addition to taking care of the paint mishaps, this clever technique will also give the room a unique designer feel.

8. Patch poor cabinetry painting with peel and stick or rub-on appliques, decorative hardware, or specialty painting techniques such as sponging, stippling, feathering or ragging.

Tips & Warnings

• Be creative in covering up mistakes. Use your imagination to come up with your own technique.
• Mix various techniques within a single room to add levels of dimension and establish a unique style.
• Mix paint colors. All walls don't have to be the same color or even contain the same type of wall covering.
• Specialty painting techniques also work well on most types of cabinetry.
• Use the proper materials when painting to avoid making future mistakes.
• Wear proper safety gear whenever working with harmful chemicals or products that might be difficult to remove from the skin or clothing.