If you’re tired of the usual plain colored walls, perhaps the more dramatic wall mural is for you. This is typically great for teens’ rooms, or even young adults who have a flair for the unique and the artistic. You can even make a wall mural even if you are not that artistic in making actual designs yourself, by making use of an overhead projector.


Step 1. Pick the design you want to paint onto your wall. It can be a design you’ve made yourself, one you’ve searched for on the Internet, or even found on a magazine or greeting card.

Step 2. Make a colored copy of the design you want. This will serve as your reference during the actual painting session.

Step 3. Make another copy of the design in black and white. A photocopier can help you to enlarge the design to a size that you can easily make out all the intricate details.

Step 4. A third copy you need is a black-and-white transparency of the design. You will use this on the overhead projector.

Step 5. Turn on your projector and project the design on the wall area you are targeting. Adjust the projector’s distance until you have it right where you want it and exactly how big you want it.

Step 6. Just in case you happen to move the projector, be sure to mark its position on the floor using masking tape. This way, you won’t have to redo everything each time you start again in the morning.

Step 7. Follow the outline of the design using a pencil. For this step, you might need some artistic prowess, although it may not be necessary, as all you are actually doing is tracing. If the light from the projector hurts your eyes, you can don on some sunglasses or shaded goggles.

Step 8. Prepare your acrylic paint in the colors you need based on the color copy of the design. Put each color into its own plastic container. Alternatively, you can use interior latex paint for the larger areas you need to paint.

Step 9. Paint the large areas of the design first, using a wide and flat paintbrush. Note that acrylic paints have the tendency to be a bit transparent, so you might need at least two coats to get the tint you want. Play it by eye and stop adding another coat when you get the desired shade.

Step 10. Shade and blend the colors by adding the next color before the first layer has dried. If you are not sure how to do this, you can ask help from artist friends.

Step 11. Lastly, add details image outlines using a round paintbrush.