I’ve wanted to paint an accent arch for a while. I toyed with the idea of painting one as in the twins’ room, but ultimately decided to try painting one in Everly’s closet. You know, in case I totally screwed it up, ha. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that hard nor time consuming. I actually love how it turned out and the pop of color it adds! Here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to paint a wall arch.
*I apologize in advance for the terrible picture quality. Most of these are still shots from a timelapse I did, where I was out of the frame 80% of the time. 🥴
What You’ll Need:
- Magic Eraser
- Long level, or yard stick
- Pencil
- String
- Measuring tape / ruler
- Painter’s tape
- Angled paint brush (linking the exact one I used)
- Small roller / tray
- Paint
How To:
Step 1: You’ll want a clean, blank slate to work with. I used a magic eraser to remove scuff marks and any surface debris.
Step 2: Using a ruler or measuring tape, figure out how wide you want the base of your arch to be. For reference, I was working with a small wall, so I measured 6 inches from either edge of the wall and made a small mark with my pencil.
Step 3: This is where you’ll want to grab your long level, (what I used), or a yard stick. I find using a level is easier because you can immediately tell if you have a straight line. Using your straight edge tool + pencil, draw a faint line the height you want your arch’s base.
Step 4: I used my level again to make sure both lines were the same height, or you could use measuring tape. This will be important when it comes time to draw out the arch.
Step 5: Find the middle of your two lines, and make a mark.
Step 6: Tie a piece of string around your pencil. You’ll want the string to be long enough so that the pencil tip meets the top of your lines. Now, I know the “right” way to do this would have been to put a pushpin thru that middle mark to attach the string to, but I didn’t want to deal with having to fill the hole. Instead, I just used my finger to hold the string tight, and said a prayer it would work out. After some inevitable erasing, I got it where I wanted. You’re essentially drawing a semi-circle, connecting your two lines. It may take a little finagling, but if your mark is in the center, you should be pretty spot on.
Step 7: Grab your painter’s tape to protect your surrounding wall and/or trim. Taping off the top arch would have been a huge PITA, so I decided to freehand it. Try to place your tape just outside that pencil mark. That way you’ll paint over it, and it won’t show.
+ PRO TIP: Use a credit card (or vinyl scraper) to go over your tape for extra crisp paint lines and avoiding touch-ups!
Step 8: Paint all around the edges with an angled paint brush, then go in with your roller. Let dry, and do a second coat if needed.
Step 9: Once your paint is totally dry you can remove your tape (so satisfying!), and reveal your masterpiece.
I’d say all + all with the prep, painting, and dry time, this project took me 2-3 hours total. (Her closet is also a heat box, so the paint dried super-fast.) I happened to have all the paint and tools on hand, so this project cost me $0! Love when that happens. 🙃
I hope you enjoyed this ‘how-to’ on how to paint a wall arch. If you try it out at home, please gimme a tag on IG (@threedaughtershome) — Happy painting!
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This is fabulous! I love this idea!!
thanks Laura!