How to Paint Diamonds on Walls
Painting diamonds (or any other pattern) on your walls is more time-consuming than it is difficult. For this kind of project, use a fast-drying paint, like latex or a water-based pigment, instead of oils, which can take days to dry. You can reasonably expect to be finished painting your pattern within several hours. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Paper Pencil Stencil(s) Poster board or thin cardboard Utility knife Masking tape Acrylic stencil paint (for fast drying) Stencil brush
Instructions
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1
Plan your pattern on paper, from the design to the colors you want to use. Decide on the size, if they will be uniform or different, and if the shapes will be the same color or a variety. Determine if you want to paint a border that's chair height or runs along the top or bottom of the wall, or if you want a cluster pattern in the corners near the ceiling. Consider that the color of the wall you're stenciling on will affect the end result of the design.
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2
Buy or make a diamond-shaped stencil(s). You can find them at craft shops like Michael's and A.C. Moore, or online retailers like Stencil Planet (see Resources). If you want to make them, design them by drawing the diamond in the center of a piece of thin poster board or cardboard (like the kind used as backing for a notebook) and cutting it out with a utility knife. Avoid using corrugated cardboard, since it may not adhere flat to the wall and leaks could occur. For shapes that are in a cluster pattern, draw the whole pattern on a sheet of cardboard, then cut them out. Painting a cluster as one complete stencil better ensures that the designs will have a uniform look when painted on the wall.
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3
Make sure the wall(s) you are painting on are clean and have a stain or flat finish. You might have to sand glossy or metallic walls so that they hold the paint better. If any part of the wall that you plan on stenciling isn't painted or treated, you will need to apply primer to it.
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4
Draw guidelines for where you will paint the border. Tape the stencil to the wall where the first diamond goes with masking tape. Lightly draw a line with a pencil across the top and bottom of the stencil, then remove it. Place a yardstick along the top line and use it as a guide to draw a straight line across the wall, then do the same with the bottom line. When you place the cutout on the wall, you will set it between the two lines to keep the diamonds straight.
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5
Retape the template to the wall where the first shape will be painted.
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6
Paint over the opening with a stencil brush by dabbing the paint inside of the diamond opening. Reader's Digest (see Resources) recommends matching a brush's size to the stencil to determine if it's too big or small for the template, and cites a 1/2-inch, medium-size brush as being ideal for most projects. Small or delicate designs require a brush that's a 1/4 inch or smaller; bigger shapes need a brush that's 3/4 to 1 inch in diameter.
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7
Give the paint about 10 minutes to dry.
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8
Make sure you have completely covered the stenciled area before removing the stencil. Otherwise, apply more paint and give it a few more minutes to dry.
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9
Move the stencil to the next spot where you want to paint, and repeat Steps 6 through 8 as necessary. If you want to paint the design more quickly, purchase or make several stencils so that you can tape the complete pattern on the wall at once, then paint it in.
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