How to Paint Zebra Stripes on a Wall

Painting zebra stripes on a wall or a whole room is a fun way to spice up the decor. The room can be decorated in a safari theme, entirely in black and white, or the stripes can be painted a color other than black.

Things You'll Need

• Wall cleaner
• Sponge
• Spackling
• Spackling knife
• Sand paper
• Damp towel
• Paint brushes
• Paint rollers
• Primer
• Picture of zebra stripe pattern
• Overhead projector
• Transparency of zebra stripes
• White paint
• Painter's tape
• Black paint

Instructions

How to Paint Zebra Stripes on a Wall

1. Clean the walls with the wall cleaner and sponge. Remove all dirt, residue and dust.

2. Patch any nail holes or nicks in the walls with the spackling. Sand the spackling smooth after it dries.

3. Wipe down the wall with a damp towel. Make sure it is smooth and clean.

4. Paint the primer on the wall. A freshly primed wall will give the best possible canvas for zebra stripes. It will cover and neutralize the old color and provide a good surface for the new paint to adhere to.

5. Get a picture of zebra stripes that you like and have a transparency made from the picture. Copy shops can make the transparency for you.

6. Paint the entire wall white. Eggshell finish will work very well for this project.

7. Place the transparency on the overhead projector and position it so that the image is projected onto the wall. Adjust the projector so that the image takes up as much of the wall as you want to paint stripes on.

8. Outline the stripes on the wall with painter's tape. Run the tape along the outside edge of the black stripes projected onto the wall.

9. Paint the stripes with black paint. Semi-Gloss stripes will give a slight texture contrast. Hi-Gloss will give a greater texture contrast but will be more difficult to cover when the room is repainted.

10. Remove the painter's tape. Wait at least 1 or 2 hours before removing the tape. The paint should be dry to the touch or it could smudge as the tape comes off.

References

• RealSimple.com