How to Project an Image on a Wall to Paint a Mural

An imaginative way to brighten and beautify a child's bedroom, playroom or classroom is by painting a mural on a wall. You can hire a professional artist to create a wall mural for you, but you may not be able to afford the expense. However, you can paint a wall mural with little, if any, artistic talent. If you own or can borrow an overhead projector, you can make a mural of almost any image you choose.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Overhead projector
• Fine-tip marker
• Paint
• Paintbrushes

1. Find a simple picture that suits your decor and your child's personality. You must be able to make a photocopy of the picture. Look for images in coloring books, picture books or printable clip art with clean lines that will be easy to trace.

2. Take the picture to a local print shop and ask them to copy the image onto a sheet of transparency film.

3. Put the transparency film with the image copied onto it on the overhead projector. Project the image onto the wall where you want to paint the mural. Move the projector or use the adjustment settings to make the image on the wall the precise size you want the mural to be.

4. Trace the projected image onto the wall using a fine-tip marker. You may need to stand off to one side to avoid being in the way of the projection.

5. Turn off the projector after you have traced the outline for the mural onto the wall. Fill in the outline with the appropriate paint colors, being careful to stay inside the lines.

Tips & Warnings

• Contact your local school, place of worship or office-supply store to find out if you can borrow or rent an overhead projector.

References

• Bedroom Mural