How to Paint Zebra Stripes With Tape

Painting zebra stripes in a room will really accent the walls. It can add to a simple color theme or an animal theme. Although the directions below specify to use black and white paint, you can certainly mix it up with different colored stripes. The whole process will take longer than painting the wall one color, since you'll need to wait for the coats of paint to dry before moving to the next step. It is, however, a relatively inexpensive way to paint.

Things You'll Need

• White paint
• Paint rollers and brushes
• Paint trays
• Rags
• Blue painter's tape
• Black paint

Instructions

1. Paint the entire wall white. When the first coat is dry, add a second coat if needed.

2. 

   Use blue painter's tape to make the stripes. You are going to put up two pieces of tape for each zebra stripe. The area of wall you leave between the two pieces of tape will be the actual stripe. Run the first strip of tape from ceiling to floor. Don't hang it perfectly straight. You want it to be a little wavy and uneven like a real zebra stripe.

3. Leave a space after the first piece of tape and apply the second piece of the tape the same way. The space between the two pieces of tape does not have to be even. It can be wider in some areas and thinner in others.

4. Repeat steps two and three until you have all the zebra stripes you want.

5. Paint the areas between all the pieces of tape black. Use a paint brush for this part and be very carefully not to paint right over the blue tape onto the wall outside the zebra stripe.

6. Apply a second coat of paint after the first coat is dry. You want to apply a second coat of the black paint so that the stripes are clear and defined. You don't want any white showing through.

7. Remove the painter's tape slowly after the black paint is dry. It should come off in long strips.

8. Go back over the wall and touch up any spots that may need it.

Tips & Warnings

• Make the stripes different widths. The lines of tape should be wavy to resemble zebra stripes.

• Painting white over black paint does not cover well at all so be carefully not to drip black paint on any of the white wall areas.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish