NURSERY ACCENT WALL : IT’S NOT WALLPAPER, IT’S BETTER!

I have been wanting to do this fun treatment to this big, vaulted wall in E’s room for a while now, but getting anything done in that room is difficult because I can’t work while he naps! Since I already had the supplies and J is now working from home, I figured that this was the perfect time to tackle this super easy accent wall. You probably already have the materials you need for this at your home too, so this crazy quarantine is a great time to try it in your own home!

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Materials

• Sponge
• Paint (I used about 1/2 of a sample jar, so you don’t need very much at all!)

TUTORIAL

Obviously the first thing you need to do is figure out what design you want to stamp onto the wall. I just found this one as I was writing this post and I’m in love!

But these simple vertical ones are also stunning.

Okay, these moons? So cute! You would need to cut the shapes out of the sponge and this pattern would take a little longer, but WORTH IT! And if you mess it up, sponges are super cheap and you can add them to your grocery pickup order.

These would be super fun in a laundry (like she did) or a kid’s bathroom!

Once you’ve picked your pattern, cut your sponge appropriately. Mine was curved on the edges, so I cut it straight down the middle. Ideally, I think it would be better to not have the scrub pad on one side, but these are the sponges I had so I just went for it.

Next, figure out your spacing. You want to center your design on the wall, but you don’t need to be perfect. One of the great things about this project is that it is meant to be a little bit imperfect. I figured out that I wanted to space my design with about 9″ between them, which is the width of this construction paper. Between the edge of the wall and the first design would be 4.5″ (half the paper) and the same distance from the bottom of the trim to the bottom of the design.

I spaced the first row by using the piece of paper folded in half, but for the rest of the rows I held the paper up to the previous row, made a mark, and then used a level to work across the wall and make small marks where the bottom of the design would fall. Then I came back through and stamped the pattern on, aligning it with those marks.

I didn’t have a paint tray on hand, but I don’t think I would change what I did even if I had one! I just poured some paint on a piece of cardboard, which then allowed me to spread, soak, and dap the sponge until I had just the right amount of paint. You don’t want too much paint because it will end up dripping after you’ve stamped it on. If you end up not putting enough on and your stamp is a little light, you can always go back and restamp it! I highly recommend having some baby wipes on hand because you can really quickly and easily wipe up any drips or mistakes.

I had the vertical spacing measured and leveled out, but to get the horizontal spacing I just eyeballed it. For the horizontal sets, I started with the bottom ones and worked my way up. With the vertical lines, I learned to do the middle one first and then the sides.

The whole thing took me about two hours, maybe a little less. If I had smooth walls I might worry about the texture the sponge would leave behind, but since my walls are textured I can just paint over it when I get tired of it and the texture will just blend in! So if you’re itching for an inexpensive but fun project to do while you’re quarantined at home, try your hand at this one!

With love,
Mercedes ♥