Advice on painting polka dots?

Can anyone give me some advice on the best way to paint polka dots onto my living room wall?

(Strange request - I know!)

I'm absolutely clueless at any sort of DIY, including painting, so I want to find the easiest and most effective way of doing this...

My living room walls are a fairly vibrant red, painted a few years ago with one-coat emulsion. I now want to paint black polka dots onto the walls (probably dinner-plate sized, or maybe a bit smaller).

I'm guessing the best way is to use a stencil, but then I have the following questions...

- What's the best way to make the stencil? I'm guessing it's going to be hard to find a ready-made dinner-plate-sized-polka-dot stencil.

- What's the best way to fix the stencil to the wall without it slipping? Will masking tape do it? My feeling is that masking tape won't hold it securely. I've got some gaffer tape, but that will probably ruin the walls.

- What sort of paint should I use? Will black emulsion do it? (Can you even get black emulsion?)

- How should I apply the paint? With a brush? If so, what type of brush? A sponge? A roller? Some sort of spray-device?

- Can I use spray-paint? Is that a good idea?

I'm hoping to get started on this in the next day or so, so any advice you can quickly give me would be appreciated!

Thanks.

Reply to
Davey
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Get stick-on dots ? Bound to look neater that the slightly fuzzy edges you will get with paint. Simon. (who likes to minimise work).

Reply to
sm_jamieson

Do you want a regular grid of dots, or randomly spaced (randomly sized?) dots? Mark out carefuly what you want with little pencil marks or bits of masking tape, figure out what you will do in difficult bits around doors and windows etc.

Whatever you do, practice on some old paper first. For sharp edges on stencils, I find spraying works well (any cheap black spray paint should be fine). Not sure about the template, try thick card?

Reply to
dom

Or you could find some paper in the colour you want, cut out dots, stick on with wallpaper paste.

Reply to
dom

Sorry, I hadn't read the size ! The usual way to apply paint with a stencil is to use a pad and kind of drag it into the paint area, so you don't push paint under the stencil edges. I would probably try and mask of the area with something better than masking tape, i.e. applying pressure to the wall in order to get sharp edges. Simon

Reply to
sm_jamieson

Paint gets onto the edges of the stencil and needs to be wiped off between each application. Its going to be difficult to get off with card. Card will quickly deteriorate and disintegrate if the paint includes any water.

I think I'd use flat sheet plastic, eg the side off a storage box etc. Draw the cirle then cut it out 4mm under sized. Trim and tidy with a scalpel until perfect.

For the cleanest edge, spray paint. Advisable to make sure you've got some spare red emulsion. Might be worth tapering the template hole to prevent paint creeping.

Never seen black emulsion, blackboard paint is the usual thing. Some types of paint can hold more pigment than others.

NT

Reply to
meow2222

Usually stencil card from craft shops. Might take some work to find a big enough sheet.

You hold it and press hard with three hands whilst applying the paint with a fourth hand. Unless you're an octopus, you may require an accomplice.

This may be a problem, with vibrant red underneath you are going to require high opacity. Stencilling usually only works with one application, as there's no guarantee of getting the stencil exactly in place for the second coat.

You get special stencilling brushes which are short and round.

Not in an occupied house it's not.

And a vinyl sign cutter should produce geometrically perfect circles.

Owain

Reply to
Owain

Asa one who reguarly paints roundels on toy planes there are three approaches worth considering.

1/. Get some sticky backed vinyl and a set of compass cutters, cut disks and apply. 2/. Using above compass cutters, cut holes in suitable mask, and use as stencil. Always hard to avoid creepage though. One way is to appley clear first, to seal teh setncil edges, then color, then rip off. 3/. Get a bow (ink) compass and draw the circles in paint. Harder on a vertical wall 6than a flat wing, but possible. Then use artist brush to make up indside, than larger brush to fill.
Reply to
The Natural Philosopher

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