DIY Hand Painted Floral Wall Mural

I’m sharing my best tips and tricks on how to create a magical wall mural with paint!

Painting a wall mural can seem intimidating, but I promise if I can do it, so can you! Follow these simple steps and you’ll have a beautiful mural of your own in no time!

Materials:

• Pencil
• Paint
• Small Paint Brushes
• Flat Top Paint Brushes
• 2 inch Paint Brushes
• Round Sponge Brushes

Tools:

• Projector
• Laser Level
• Tape Measure

Step 1: Design the Mural

There are so many great places to find inspiration for your wall mural online, like Pinterest and Instagram. While you’re browsing, take some time to really think about what you want to include in your design to make it YOU. For my mural, I wanted something that was floral with muted colors and showcased my brand. I drew inspiration from several different sources, then used Adobe Illustrator to mock up my design. You could also use Canva, or commission your favorite artist to create a wall mural design that is customized to your taste. Just keep in mind when you’re choosing your design, that the more tiny details there are, the harder it is going to be to paint.

Step 2: Pick Your Paint Colors

Once you’ve decided on the design of your wall mural, it’s time to pick your paints! I used all Sherwin William’s paint colors for my design– here’s the full list:

Something to note about Sherwin Williams “Color on the Go” paint samples: they are created to use for sampling only. They are not as durable as regular paint and will not hold up to high traffic use. For this project, I decided to try it because it will be in a spot where nothing will be touching the wall and therefore should hold up fine. If you are painting a wall mural that will be cover the entire wall, or is in a high traffic area, I would recommend using a higher quality paint, like Sherwin William’s Emerald paint.

Step 3: Project & Trace Your Wall Mural Design

Measure to the center of the wall, then use a laser level to ensure that the design is perfectly straight. Then, use a projector (I got mine from Amazon) to project the design onto the wall and trace it with a pencil. From my research, creating a “paint by number” key is the easiest way to keep track of which colors to use throughout the design. As you trace the design, label each section so you know which color to paint it. I would also recommend numbering each paint can and printing out a copy of the design to reference so you don’t get anything mixed up! Taking extra time to plan everything out will make life easier in the long run.

Step 4: Paint the Mural!

This part is super tedious, so get your favorite audiobook or podcast cued up because you’re going to be here a while! I recommend working in layers, starting with the background colors, then moving onto the bigger details, and finishing with the lettering and other tiny details. At first you don’t have to be super particular about your lines, but as you move forward in the design you’ll have to be more meticulous. The last layer is definitely the hardest, especially if you’re like me and prefer for everything to be fully saturated with crisp lines. I thought that paint markers would make the details easier, but after a lot of trial and error, ultimately decided a very fine tip paint brush and painters tape worked better.

This mural has definitely been a labor of love and I could not be more obsessed with how it turned out! I’m not done updating my garage though, so make sure you’re following @comestayawhile on Instagram to see the full garage workshop reveal!

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A post shared by Amanda Vernaci | Come Stay Awhile (@comestayawhile)