Easy+SUPER Cheap Rainbow Accent Wall
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Recently my daughter requested a rainbow bedroom makeover. Normally I would take that request seriously and go crazy painting the walls multicolor, BUT I did not want to have to repaint in a year (she’s 5 and she changes her mind a lot)! So, I looked at wallpapers and vinyl decals, but either the price didn’t fit my budget or they weren’t exactly what I wanted.
Then, after a trip to the hardware store I got this brilliant idea to make my own “decals” using paint samples! Not only could I pick the exact color, shape, size and design I wanted for the wall, but this project ended up being so easy to accomplish and it was insanely cheap!!!
What you’ll need
- Paint samples in color(s) of your choice
- Shape cutter
- Removable poster mounting Putty
- Yard stick (optional)
To start I washed the wall just so I had a clean surface. Then, I used a small circle shape Fiskars brand punch cutter to punch out as many circles as I could from each paint sample. I had about 10 of each color (as a side note let me just say, I felt extremely guilty taking this many paint samples. Guilty enough that I asked the teenager working if it was okay that I was taking them, to which he replied, “uhh yaaa...” so that settled that) and I was able to punch about 12 circles from each sample. This was plenty of circles to complete the design I was going for!
Next, I worked the putty in my hand until it was a little more pliable and easy to pull apart, so I could add tiny pieces to each circle. At first I was applying the putty to a bunch of the dots, but eventually I found it was easier to stick the putty directly to the wall and then press the circle onto it.
After figuring out the best way to apply the putty and attach the circle it was time to repetitively pull tiny pieces of putty, stick it onto the wall, press the paint sample shape onto the putty and repeat.... a million times!
Here’s where having a yard stick comes in really handy. At first I was trying to eyeball where each dot went, but after awhile I could tell they weren’t evenly spaced or straight. Using the yard stick eliminated these problems instantly. I’d definitely recommend having one if you are wanting a more uniform design, but if you end up trying this and want something more organic, just place those shapes any where you like!
Here’s a little bit more progress. It’s hard to tell in this photo, but I wanted the design to start out really condensed and gradually spread out. So, not only was I using the ruler to space the dots out horizontally, but I also used it as a guide for the vertical distance I wanted the dots to be from each other.
I messed my measurements up so many times, but luckily since I was using the removable poster putty, it was extremely easy to pull the dots up and re-place them where they needed to go!
And here’s the finished wall!! Well most of it...I could not get the entire wall into one photo.
This I my favorite view of the room. It’s a little hard to tell in the picture, but you can see the dots in the reflection of the floral mirror I made for this bedroom! It just makes my heart burst with joy!
Overall, I am SO in love with how this turned out! It adds the multitude of colors my daughter so desperately wanted in her room, but saved this mama money and the headache of repainting in 12 months 😉 In totally the supplies cost me less than $10 (I did use a 50% off one regular prices item and a 20% off total purchase price at my local Joann’s)! But still- $10 for an one of a kind, rainbow accent wall is pretty dang good in my book!
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Miss Daisy on Aug 08, 2023
Cute
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Edy Watkins on Aug 08, 2023
And I thought my husband was bad when he'd grab a few to use as bookmarks...
I could grab a few but 60? Pretty nervy Lauryn. LOL It is cute though.
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Designer X on Aug 09, 2023
And tacky. Probably the same type of person who asks for extra ketchup at a fast-food place to refill her ketchup bottle at home or swipes sugar packets at a restaurant.
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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
What to use on eye glasses that have a film that eye glasses wipes won’t take off
Great idea. Could you use colored construction paper if you didn't want a rainbow but just random colors?
Clever idea!! Are the dots staying up? Have they fallen off?