You’re in the first planning stages of your nursery. You have some idea of what you want, but you don’t want to just slap some paint on the wall. Even choosing to paint the walls with two colors, one for main color, one as an accent shade, doesn’t quite feet right. You want something else for your little one’s first room. How about a mural? A mural ties the theme you have chosen for your nursery together with all of the other nursery décor elements in the room, including the baby furniture and the crib bedding. Because it’s typically on a large expanse of the wall or even two or three walls, portions of it will be at eye level when baby is in the crib or being held, which helps stimulate brain activity and the senses. The best thing about a nursery mural is that it is totally unique to you and your new baby.

Painting a Mural

Pick a picture from a catalog, magazine or poster. 

Trace the image onto an overhead transparency.

Project the transparency on the wall. If you don’t have a projector or can’t borrow one, try holding the picture in front of a bright light such as a halogen lamp.

Using chalk, which can be easily wiped away as opposed to pencil markings that can be harder to wash off, trace the outlines of the projected onto the wall.

Now you’re ready to paint. Go slow and take your time: you (really) don’t want to paint outside of the lines. Before adding the finer details like spots on a tiger or the leaves on a tree, make sure that the main wall color doesn’t show through.

Because you’ll be using more than one color, plan on painting your mural in stages to allow for the paint to dry.

Once the painting has been finished and has thoroughly dried, wipe the area with a lightly damp cloth to remove any chalk traces.

Other Mural Painting Tips

Another alternative to using a projected image is stencils. They can be traced onto the wall using chalk as well.

Plan on having a number of different sized brushes on hand – a flat paintbrush for broader areas, round paintbrushes for painting in details and outlines.

Yet another wall mural option skips painting altogether. Peel and stick vinyl pieces let you design your own nursery mural without having to paint. They are often available in themed packs; all you have to do is to decide how and where they are going to be arranged on the wall.