- Stencils are probably the easiest solution for creating a painted border for a room. You can easily find cute patterns of your liking and, because you choose and apply the paint colors yourself, you can be as creative as you wish. Plus, if you find the task too difficult, you can have specialty stencils cut to your specifications to create designs of any type, from cute sayings to blowing leaves.
- Rubber stamps make painted borders quick and easy while still allowing versatility, for there is more freedom to position the images more loosely and creatively. Just apply the paint to the stamp with a paint brush, using one ore more colors, and carefully stamp the image on the wall. Once you get the hang of it, it will go very quickly.
- Instead of using stencils or stamps to create your typical repetitive wall border, you can choose to create a small but continuous border that goes all the way around the room. This requires a slightly higher level of skill than stenciling and stamping, but shouldn't be too daunting. If you can project images on the wall, and paint in between the lines, then you can hand-paint a mural border around the top or center of the room. Use this idea for a pictorial story and to avoid repeats in the design.
- Your hand-painted border does not have to be complicated or intricate. If the idea of stencils or creating a mural causes you anxiety, tape off a 6- to 12-inch-wide strip of wall and paint it a different color than the wall. This looks especially good in the center of the room. Another idea is to border a wide stripe with thin strips on either side with a coordinating color.
