The large, colorful mural we painted in our daughter’s bedroom was one of the most fun and impactful projects we’ve tackled in a long time. It combined a bit of planning with some on-the-fly creativity, and it was simple enough that the kids eagerly grabbed brushes to help. Best of all, it was affordable and transformed a tall, otherwise blank wall into a cheerful focal point.
We painted the whole mural by hand using basic brushes and foam rollers—no sprayers, projectors, or painter’s tape required. Below you’ll find what we did and why a painted mural is an achievable DIY for anyone wanting to brighten a kids’ room.
- How to plan your wall mural
- What materials and tools you’ll need
- A step-by-step painting process
- Why this approach is forgiving and family-friendly
Painting took about five hours of active work spread over 2.5 days to allow for drying between coats. The result was exactly what the wall needed: a bright, playful backdrop that fits the space.
Materials & Tools for Painting a Mural
If you’ve painted a room before, most of these supplies will be familiar. Apart from paint, many items are likely on hand already:
- Quarts or test pots of each paint color
- Short-handled paintbrush for cutting in
- 4″ or 6″ foam rollers for larger areas
- Roller tray or tray liners
- Ziploc bags for storing brushes and rollers between coats
- Drop cloth
- Pencil and eraser
- Measuring tape
- Ladder or stepstool
- Ruler (optional)
Tip: Ideally have a brush and a roller reserved for each color so you can switch between them without cleaning mid-project.
Step 1: Choose Your Wall
We had vaulted ceilings on one side of the room after a recent renovation, which left a tall 10-foot blank wall that begged for a mural. When you have a large, vertical space like this, a painted mural can be a much better fit than a gallery wall or wallpaper because it scales visually and feels custom to the room.
A tall wall is a different kind of canvas, but it gave us a chance to introduce color and movement without cluttering the space.
Step 2: Find Your Inspiration
We based our design on a colorful, relaxed abstract mural we had photographed at a local restaurant years earlier. The palette felt energetic and calming at once, and the organic shapes were easy to recreate at home. If you don’t have a reference in mind, search for “abstract mural” or “abstract artwork” online or on Pinterest for ideas.
Abstract designs are forgiving, which makes them ideal for DIY mural painting—especially in a child’s room where playful shapes and imperfect edges add charm.
Step 3: Mock Up Your Mural
Mocking up the design beforehand helps you understand scale and spacing. We digitally overlaid our inspiration onto a photo of the wall to test proportions, but you can also sketch on paper or use a phone app. Adding a grid to your mock-up makes transferring the design to the wall easier.
Note: A mock-up is optional—abstract murals can evolve as you paint—but a plan helps guide size and placement.
Step 4: Transfer the Design to the Wall
You can use a projector to trace a detailed design, but we used a simple grid method and pencil marks. Overlay a 1×1 foot grid on your mock-up, mark key “termination points” where stripes meet the ceiling, floor, or side walls, then transfer those marks to the wall and connect them with loose curves. Keep lines light and view them from a distance to check spacing.
Step 5: Choose Your Paint Colors
We picked colors that lived on the same paint swatch, moving up and down the card for cohesion. Choosing several related tones is a straightforward way to ensure the palette reads well together. We stayed close to our inspiration, but this style works with many palettes.
The colors we used were all from the same family and included lighter and darker variations for contrast and depth.
Step 6: Buy Your Paint
We bought quarts of each color in an eggshell latex finish. Smaller test pots can work for tiny stripes, but quart sizes are often the most economical option. Our total paint cost was modest, making this an affordable room update.
Step 7: Paint Your Base Stripes
Work in alternating stripes so adjacent areas have time to dry. We began by painting three base stripes with foam rollers and used brushes for the edges. Each color received two coats. At this stage we intentionally rolled a bit over the pencil lines to prevent white gaps later.
Tip: Store brushes and rollers in plastic bags between sessions so you can touch up quickly without cleaning tools repeatedly.
Step 8: Cut Clean Edges
After the base coats dry, use a steady hand and a short-handled brush to define crisp borders between colors. Aim for long, even strokes rather than short dashes; use light pressure and a moderate amount of paint to avoid ridges. If a ridge forms, feather it out with short vertical strokes. Patience pays off here—take your time and let the design evolve.
Step 9: Fill In and Finish Each Stripe
Fill the defined areas with a roller, then apply a second coat where needed. Darker colors and overlapping edges usually require two coats for even coverage. Trust the lines you have already established and follow them carefully on your second pass.
Step 10: Step Back and Make Adjustments
After the second coat dries, step back and assess the mural. We tweaked one dark section that looked too circular by reshaping the edge so it read as an organic curve instead. Because we kept brushes handy in bags, small adjustments and touch-ups were fast and easy.
Minimizing ridges along edges keeps touch-ups seamless if you decide to shift a line later.
Step 11: Improvise and Add Details
A few days after finishing the stripes, our daughter wanted to add beachy elements. We roughly doodled ideas over a photo of the wall to experiment, then sketched directly on the mural with pencil and erased any marks we didn’t like. Painting the added shapes took a couple more hours and a few coats with a small brush to achieve crisp coverage.
Having kids help with lower sections gave them ownership of the space and made the project more meaningful. For smoother collaboration, ask kids to wash hands between turns so wet paint isn’t transferred to fabrics or floors while they wait.
Adding playful shapes is low-stakes—if you don’t like something, you can paint over it. That flexibility makes murals ideal for kids’ rooms, where tastes and styles change quickly.
A painted mural fills a large wall without the need for oversized furniture or large framed art. It’s also easy to evolve—it’s just paint—so adjustments or additions can be made later if your child wants to update the design.
If painting a mural feels intimidating, consider a simpler option like a colorful planked wall treatment, which creates a dramatic look with minimal freehand painting.
P.S. This post may contain affiliate links; purchases made through links could generate a small commission at no extra cost to you.