- 1). Lay out drop cloth or plastic sheeting at the base of your wall to catch drips. If the baseboard is not going to be painted, tape the plastic along the top edge of the baseboard to protect it.
- 2). Clean the walls to be painted with a solution of dish detergent and warm water and a soft sponge. Wring the sponge out well and work from the top of the wall down. Pay special attention to the corners and any other details such as crown or base moldings.
- 3). Roll on two coats of paint in your choice of color to the entire wall. Use satin for a smooth, long-lasting finish that is easy to clean. Paint all of the walls you intend to stripe before beginning the striping process.
- 4). Determine where the stripes will run on your wall. For the purpose of this tutorial, assume two 6-inch-wide stripes running horizontally, one above the other, between three and four feet above the floor. Use a chalk line to mark the top and bottom of the stripes, along with the center line dividing the two stripes, at both ends of the first wall.
- 5). Tape above the top line and below the bottom line of the lighter-colored stripe with 2-inch-wide painter's tape. Brush a 2-inch strip of clear acrylic medium in a flat finish along the inside of both tape strips. Let it overlap onto the tape approximately 1 inch. It will seal the edge of the tape to keep the paint from seeping under the tape, which will make the edge of the stripe crisp. Allow the acrylic to dry for an hour.
- 6). Brush on a coat of paint between the strips of tape. Work side-to-side along the stripe with long, straight strokes. Overlap the strokes to completely cover the surface. Keep the brush dry enough to prevent drips and runs in the paint. Allow the paint to dry for an hour, and apply a second coat. Allow the paint to dry overnight, and remove the tape along the stripes.
- 7). Tape along the top and bottom of the second stripe. Brush on a coat of acrylic along the tape as you did with the first stripe, and apply two coats of paint as before. Allow the stripe to dry overnight before removing the tape. Repeat the entire striping process for the remaining walls.
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