A wall mural may sound like an intimidating project, but in reality just about anyone can do it with enough time, energy, and resourcefulness.
Kids' Bedroom Murals
Liven up a plain wall with one of these colorful mural ideas for kids.
- Circus. Choose rich reds, golds, and purples to bring a gaudy circus train to life, or pick out a cooler palette of blues, greens, and purples to channel a Cirque Du Soleil feel. Look at examples of vintage circus posters and advertisements for inspiration and graphic ideas.
- Carousel. Check out the stencils in Fun With Carousel Animals, which is a kids' activity book but usable as a source for wall mural patterns.
Bathroom Murals
These murals will add some creativity to a bland bathroom.
- Soap Bubbles. Cover an entire wall with floating soap bubbles, or use them to accent a vanity mirror.
- Seaside. Add shells, seahorses, sand, and a beach umbrella to dress up a nautical-themed bathroom.
- Dogwood Tree. Dogwood trees are among the simplest of trees to draw and paint, as they have few leaves but plenty of blossoms and interesting branches.
Hallway and Corridor Murals
To welcome guests or add dimension and visual interest to a plain hallway, try one of these wall murals.
- Graphic Flowers. Look at art and photography sites or books to pick out a flower print style that suits the home's decor. Flower graphics can range from abstract to extremely realistic and detailed. Flower designs are an excellent way to tie in colors from two disjointed spaces.
- Vines. Vines allow painters to get creative with wall mural placement. They can snake around doorways, windows, and even hall mirrors. Try adding a vine mural to the wall near an outside entrance, to give the sense of the outside coming in.
How to Paint a Wall MuralA wall mural project does not have to be overwhelming or only for professional painters. Here's how to paint a wall mural without free-handing.
- When the mural design has been chosen, sketch or print a clean copy of it. Trace a grid of 1"x1" squares over the entire print.
- On the designated wall, map out a 1'x1' grid with pencil dots. Each square inch on the mural print will correspond with each square foot on the wall (proportion may be adjusted as needed).
- Prior to painting, make sure that the wall surface is clean and completely dry.
- Step back frequently to get a sense of what the mural is looking like, and adjustments that need to be made while the paint is still wet.
- Use either acrylic craft paint or interior wall paint for this project.
With a few design ideas and basic instructions, home decorators can feel confident that the mural they choose for a home's wall will suit their space perfectly. For further reading and products, see www.wallandmural-stencils.com.
