DIY Arch Wall Mural

Here’s the truth- like many of you, money is a little tight right now. It’s been a hard few months. But even if my projects aren’t all as big and exciting as I’d maybe like them to be, I still like to update my house. Lately, I’ve been looking for ways to make my guest room feel just a little bit more special. So, I decided to add a DIY arch wall mural behind the bed. 

I know the world looks vastly different than it did in January and sometimes it feels like the world is burning while I paint rainbows on everything. But creating is and always has been my therapy. Dreaming up an idea and executing it then sharing it here- the process keeps me sane. I don’t know what the future holds, but until then, I’ll keep painting.

DIY Arch Wall Mural

built in desk inspiration / rainbow instax art / ombre arches / canopy bed / striped ceiling / bobbin dresser / 

For the guest bedroom, I have some big dreams! Instead of being the room with all the leftover furniture, I want to make it special. Like with a built in desk! And I LOVE the idea of adding drapes around the three sides of the bed (not behind the headboard). I think it’ll be so romantic! Those two things might be a little further off since they’re more expensive/involved.

Then there’s ideas that are MUCH more budget friendly to execute- like making rainbow art, painting stripes on the ceiling, and a bobbin diy for the nightstand. Today I decided to tackle the diy arch wall mural. 

My thoughts for this is it’s a project anyone can do with paint on hand. And it can go in any color scheme! It’s a great way to add a bunch of color. And if there’s no headboard, this could work instead.

SUPPLIES

• Tupperware lid (or something round to trace the arch with)- the one I used was 11.5″ wide
• Paintbrushs
• Painter’s tape
• Pencil
• Level
• Paint scraper (if you have bumps and imperfections on your wall like I did)
• Paint-1. Beloved Pink, 2. Shy Smile, 3. Corn Stalk, 4. Green Aqua, 5. Tinted Ice. I buy the sample jars in the Marquee line (highest quality) in an eggshell finish

I ended up having all the supplies on hand. I love a good free project!

step 1

If you’re doing this behind a bed too, make sure the bed (or sofa or desk) is exactly where you always want it to be. Mine was closer to the wall, but I thought it was too tight on the side by the window. Once that was moved over, I drew a mock-up of three options for the arch-

After drawing this out, my gut said “go with the rainbow!” But my readers on Instagram voted for the ombre pink to orange. Which I loved too so I decided to try it out!

step 2

Start by figuring out where you want the middle of the arch to be. Since I’m putting mine above the bed, I started by measuring the headboard to find where the middle of the center arch should be.

Next, trace the lid to make the center arch. Then draw straight lines down from the widest part of the circle. Make sure they’re straight by using a level.

After that, work your way out from the center and trace the next arch on either side of the center arch. Use a level to make sure both arches on either side of the center arch are the same height. I’m a symmetrical girl, so this worked for me. 

step 3

And now, use painters tape to mark off every other arch where your pencil marks were. I like to tape the first three arches and so those go up quickly. The last two arches will be free-handed with paint.

Then, start painting! I did 5 arches, so I painted the first, the middle and the 5th arch first.

At this point though, I really didn’t like the colors. I hate when things like this happen, because I don’t like to waste paint or time. But it’s better to make something perfect than live with a mistake. So I painted over the arches. Also, at this time, I used my paint scraper to clean up the blemishes on the wall. Can you see the big bump on the pink arch? Yuck!

Once the paint has fully dried, pull off the painters tape. 

step 4

Finally, it’s time to paint the remaining arches. I find it the most simple to freehand and follow the pencil marks. Going slow and getting my eye as close to the pencil line work best for me!

Last, I had a few bleed throughs on the white paint so I quickly cleaned those up!

after

Here are the arches all done! This was a relatively quick project- even with the mess-up I think it took 3 hours. And since I document the process, that’s more than I think it would take most people!

rug / bed / sheer curtains / ceiling fan / wall paint / quilt / peony wall art / lumbar pillow / lamp / night stands are thrifted / throw blanket not available

I would call this a beginner level DIY. Super easy! And you can kind of see from this picture how I tried to use colors from the rug in the mural. That detail really helped pull the room together!

My dogs slept on my bed the whole time I worked. It was great to have company!

Also, here’s a sneak peek of some adorable vintage books I snagged on eBay recently! They’re called “My Book House” and the spines are the perfect pastel colors! They actually match the mural perfectly! There’s more than I’m showing here. I’m still on the lookout for book 1 and 2, but I LOVE them!

Anyway, there you have it! I loooove the instant fun and personality the arches add to the room. They are almost scallop like and feel on trend and fresh and happy. Do you like the arches?

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