How to Potato Print a Border

Adding a border - elegant, whimsical or romantic - is one of the quickest and easiest ways to define a space or dress up a room.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Acrylic Paints
• Acrylic Paints
• Several Large Potatoes
• Sharp Knife
• Sharp Knife
• Felt-tip Pens
• Rulers

1. Choose the area you want to paint - around a door frame, or along the top of the wainscotting - and decide on a design.

2. Mark your border, if you wish. Use a yardstick or tape measure to mark the desired height. Then use a yardstick and chalk to join the marks to create a faint, easily removable line that runs all the way across the wall or around the room.

3. Cut off and discard 1/3 of a potato with one clean cut.

4. Rinse the flat surface of the potato and dry it on a paper towel.

5. Use a felt-tip pen to sketch your design on the flat surface.

6. Score about 1/2-inch deep along the lines and carefully cut away or scoop out the unwanted part.

7. Rinse and dry.

8. Pour a small amount of paint onto a smooth, flat surface such as a glass pie plate.

9. Stamp the potato gently onto the paint; then stamp it on the wall.

10. Use a ruler, held above or below so you don't smear the paint, to find your next target and repeat the process.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice first. Use a quick, firm motion with no twist or slide to avoid smearing.
• A border design can have several parts in different colors (for example, a quarter-moon in gold and a star in silver) but potato printing is a simple technique and works best with simple designs. If you want something more intricate, a stencil may be a better choice.
• Potatoes are flat. If your walls are irregular, you would probably be better off with another technique such as sponge painting.