When you see a wall pattern with crisp, clean edges, you know one thing for sure: they must have used painter’s tape.
You’ve seen this brightly colored tape on the shelves of most hardware stores. Painters use it to create precise and sharp designs on interior walls. It removes cleanly from your walls for flawless edges each time.
Are you thinking about adding artistic flair to your bedroom, home office, or entertainment area? A roll of painter’s tape can help you make a design that’s one of a kind. If you’d like to learn more about how to paint cutting-edge designs, keep reading:
Clean the Surface
Your tape will have trouble sticking if the wall is caked with dust or dirt. This may cause frustration—you might take the time to arrange an intricate design of tape, only to have it fall off halfway through the job.
Take a cloth with warm, soapy water, and carefully wipe the area. Allow the surface to dry completely before applying the painter’s tape.
Select a Base Accent Color
To start, you’ll need at least two colors of paint to make your design. You may decide to use colors that are prevalent throughout your home or defer to 2021 paint color trends to add a modern touch.
The first color is used as a base. This shade is what you’ll cover with the tape—once you peel back the tape, that original color will remain underneath.
Next, you’ll need to choose one or more accent colors. You use this to paint over and around the tape; you might make small designs in the negative space or paint bold streaks of color.
Colors can be used to contrast and complement one another. Using color theory, you can choose a complementary tone or a subtle variation of your base color. The more colors that you use, the more important it becomes to refer to a color wheel. Ensure that your walls are cohesive by choosing your shades carefully.
Now that you’ve chosen your colors, the next step is deciding on your design. Here are a few ideas that you can use:
Create Shapes
There’s something undeniably artistic about an array of sharp geometric shapes.
To get those right angles perfect, you might need to break out a ruler and measure certain lines. You can add small triangles and squares along the wall, or divide the entire space using larger shapes.
Design Stripes
Painting vertical or horizontal lines is a lot easier with painter’s tape. You’ll still need to be precise to pull off this look, so measure the walls carefully. Thin lines, thick lines, or diagonal lines—the choice is yours!
Bold designs don’t need to be intricate. Make the most of negative space with painter’s tape, which allows you to create clean stripe patterns.
Abstract Ideas
Use tape to create unique and eye-catching pieces on your walls. Painter’s tape allows you to create crisp edges, but you can also use it to make the opposite. An interesting way to get fuzzy edges is by tearing off half of the tape. When you paint against an uneven edge, you can create jagged or soft lines that may look like clouds.
You can use a hole-puncher to add polka dots to your walls. Try making holes in the tape and arrange them in a neat line, or place them sporadically.
Making Precise Lines
Not all of us are blessed with a sturgeon’s steady hand. If you want to paint freehand shapes, you might struggle to make clean, well-defined lines. Abstract art is one thing, but you still want the object that you’re painting to look as you intended it to.
Unlike with a pencil and paper, it’s difficult to remove paint if you make a mistake. But you aren’t a perfect painter. So, here’s one way to get straight lines with every stroke: use the edge of the tape to paint your lines.
If your hand shakes, you won’t have to worry about it. Any excess paint will be covered by the tape, so that once you remove it, your designs will look as if they were drawn on with a ruler.
Removing Painter’s Tape
What’s the most satisfying part of using painter’s tape? Undoubtedly, it’s when you get to peel it off. Be sure that the paint is completely dry before you remove the tape, which will prevent blown-out edges (unless you’re going for that look).
The owner of Globe Property Management writes, “Too many painters get overly-eager to peel off the tape, and rip it off in one swift motion. But if the paint isn’t completely dry, you’ll end up ruining your crisp lines.”
Depending on the type of paint you use, it could take up to a week to completely cure. Patience is key here—don’t rush the removal and ruin your hard work!
Control the comfort of your home by adding personalized paint patterns that you enjoy. You’re free to let your creativity run wild, so why not create the design of your dreams? With painter’s tape, the possibilities are endless.
