How to Paint Stripes on a Wall

Stripes are relatively easy paint designs for walls. It takes only a day or two to create vertical striped walls. Follow these steps to prepare for your project:

• Plan out your look. Need a dramatic focal point? Go with vertical striped walls in simple black and white. Want a tight space to feel spacious? Try wide, neutral-colored horizontal stripes.
• Gather your wall paint colors, painter's tape, a small paint roller and a few paint rags.
• Prepare your walls with paint primer.

• Measure the width of your wall and find a stripe width that can be divided into this number
• Moving horizontally, use a tape measure and a colored pencil to place a mark every five to 12 inches. The width will depend on how narrow or wide you want your stripes.
• Start measuring opposite the least-seen corner and continue around the room.
• Allow the stripe to fold around the corner or adjust your measurements as necessary to end with a stripe in the corner.

Place a level on the wall using the marks you have created. Use the colored pencil against the level and draw a stripe line straight down toward the floor. To make it easier, draw your line as level and straight as possible.

It’s important to place painter's tape correctly to create precise stripes. Carefully apply your painter's tape along the outside edge of each pencil mark. Press down firmly on the inner edges of the tape to create crisp, clean lines.

Paint the wider stripe of the two stripes you marked off with your base paint color. Make sure to overlap your painting onto the painter’s tape. This prevents your accent stripe color from bleeding underneath the tape.

Tip: Make a light "X" on the stripes that should be painted over with the accent color to help you keep track, or mark arrows on the painter's tape.

• Apply a second coat if needed.
• Remove tape while accent paint is wet.
• Continue making stripes and carefully removing tape until the last accent stripe is made.

Follow these steps to paint horizontal stripes on a wall:

• Measure the height of your wall and find a stripe width that can be divided into this number.
• Starting from the top down to the floor, use a measuring tape and a colored pencil to mark off how wide your horizontal stripes will be.
• Use a level to draw a straight horizontal line at the top and bottom of each stripe.
• Follow steps 4 through 6 above.

Tip: If you want the wall stripe at the top and bottom of your wall to be the same color, measure out an odd number of stripes.