Wall murals are an easy way to decorate any wall. It’s a chance for you to be creative. Look for wall mural stencil ideas in art, books, or greeting cards. Or draw your own design. Have fun playing with ideas.
When you are ready to start, make a color copy of the image. (One note: copy centers will not let you copy copyrighted material.) If you are assembling a collage, make a color copy of each image, cut them out and assemble them on another piece of paper. Glue them down and then make another color copy. This is your reference.
Take your reference and make a black and white transparency copy of it at a copy center. A clerk can help you if you don’t know how to make a transparency. Enlarge the image if you need to; make sure all the details on the transparency are clear.
When you get home, put the transparency on an overhead projector, turn it on, and shine it on the wall you want to decorate. Put the image on the how you want it to look. Mark the floor with masking tape so you can remember the projector’s position. Carefully trace the projected image with a pencil.
If you don’t have an overhead projector, try to borrow one from your friends, your library, or a local school. A projector is the easiest way to transfer a wall mural stencil.
If this is your first wall mural, try to keep it simple. Tracing and painting intricate patterns can get quite complicated. Use a variety of brushes to make painting easier. You’ll need a broad paintbrush for large areas of paint, a small round brush for the details. You can blend colors with your fingers, cloth, or sponge. Use acrylic paints, but you made need extra coats. Interior latex paint is handy for large areas of color.
