Project - Runway Monday: Alphabet Wall Stickers Part 2

What do you get when you combine the Alphabet Wall Stickers (from Kids Decal Corner) and some cheerful paint colors???? 
A REALLY cool wall design for a really cheerful price!!!

For this week's Project - Runway Monday Alphabet Wall Stickers Part 2 .... I will walk you through how to use some cute, but simple, kids decals to make an extra BIG impact to your room.

You'll have to tune in next Monday, to get the final pictures... isn't it fun to anticipate :)

First I want to start by saying, you can use any of the wall decor decals that I sell at www.kidsdecalcorner to do this sort of project. I'll say more about how to adapt this project to fit whatever kids decal you might use next Monday.

I did this project with my future play/school room in mind. The room we currently call an "office" is more like a catch all room. But someday.... I have big plans to convert it into a playing/ learning room. However, we're far from being able to put the fun touches (like wall decor) in the room. So for now, I had to be content to try it out in my son's room. He thought it was pretty cool having all the letters of the alphabet on his bedroom wall!

The inspiration behind this project was the desire to create a large visual effect without breaking my meager budget. You can do this by painting colored blocks onto your wall to give the appearance of a collage of pictures. Follow the set by step process below and you too can create a beautiful array of color on your wall for a super cheap price! Who says you have to spend money to have a beautiful room?!

Step 1: Gather Your Supplies!

• Level
• Measuring Tape
• Painter's Tape
• Stencil Paint or samples from your local paint store would work just as well.
• Brushes
• Chaulk

Step 2: Planning!

Its always best to plan out your project before you start marking and painting. Trust me, it will save you time and frustration in the long run... I know from experience :)

• Lay out all your Kids Decals and pre-determine what colors you will paint each of the blocks of color.
• Determine how big you want each block to be.
• Determine what distance you want between your blocks... width and height.
• Determine where you want this collection of blocks to be positioned on your wall... making sure its centered on the wall. 

For my project with  the Alphabet Wall Stickers... I measured 2 feet from the ceiling to start my first row of blocks. Then made sure that it was centered ( left to right ) on the wall. Because I had a narrow section of wall, I decided to paint 6 rows of four blocks and then put the extra 2 alphabet blocks on the bottom left corner - making row 7 with two blocks. I made each BLOCK 3 inches apart from one another. And each ROW was 2 inches apart.

I suggest - especially if you have multiple decals and blocks - that you use scrap paper and cut it to the size of the block you plan to paint. Tape them to the wall to give you a visual of how that size will look. This way, you can play around with the size and position of your "blocks" before you start marking and painting.








Step 3: Measure, Mark and Tape!

• Using your tape measure, start measuring your grid of blocks onto the wall. I suggest you start at the top. Measure down from the ceiling your determined distance, mark it with the chalk and then use your level to draw the line for the top of your first row. Now from your first line, measure down your determined distance for how big (long ) your individual blocks are going to be. My blocks were 8 1/2 in. long by 6 1/2 in. wide. Its easiest to do all your horizontal lines first and then measure out and mark your vertical lines. You will end up with a chalk grid on your wall.
• Once you have a chalk grid on your wall, start sticking the Painter's tape on the OUTSIDE of the chalk lines (see picture below.... notice that the edge of the tape is on the OUTSIDE of the chalk line ).

When you're done taping your grid, it should look something like this. Notice all the blocks you've created with the tape?

 Step 4: Protect Your Edges!
If you've ever used painter's tape before, you know that often paint will bleed underneath your tape.... leaving a messy edge. I have the trick you need!!!!
Before you use the block color , use the original wall color and paint around the inside edge of each of your blocks. This will seal off the edges. So where your paint bled under the tape, you won't notice it, because its the same color as your wall.

Let the wall color dry completely.

Step 5: Paint Your Blocks!
Now using the designated colors, paint each of your blocks. I suggest using two thinner coats, than one heavy coat. Make sure you cover every spot in your taped off block (covering over the wall color that you previously painted ).

Allow the paint to dry completely. Remove the painter's tape and you will have a beautiful rainbow of colored blocks on your wall!!! Give the paint 2-3 days to set before you apply the decals to the blocks.

Step 6: Peel and Stick Your Kids Decals.
The beauty of these wall decor decals, is that you can apply them as many times as you need to until they're in that perfect spot!



Well, that's all for this weeks post on Project - Runway Monday!!! As always, I anticipate your thoughts, comments, questions or any fun and cool ideas you have!

Check us out next Monday to see the final reveal of this project!!! Plus, I'll give you the budget breakdown of how much I spent to create this amazing wall art and other ideas on how to adapt this idea to different kids decals!