Best DIY Accent Wall !

3 Materials
$200
3 Days
Medium

Create a beautiful accent wall with a gallon of paint, some glitter and Capiz shells! You can too!


Material List:1 Gallon of paint (I used Benjamin Moore's light blue 2066-70)Paint tray with linerPainting RollerPainting Edger (a must have!)Painter's blue tapePainter's paper or canvas to protect flooringGlitter (I used a combination of silver and gold)Paper plateCleaning ragsStep stool or ladderOptional: Bamboo rod (or similar) Monofilament fishing line 2 Cup holder screw hooks Capiz shells (I used approximately 900)


Step-by-Step Tutorial (copy & paste to print)

>Determine the accent wall you want to paint. Accenting empty walls with paint (and glitter) can give your room an instant facelift and create interest to any bare wall, colored or not. The glitter will capture the light at all times of the day and glimmer like the stars at night.


>Choose your accent wall color. Keep in mind the color of the furniture, window covering, bedding, etc. that will be in the room to help you decide. My color idea came from the beautiful light blue skies outside my windows. Most hardware stores sell mini paint samples that can be mixed with your color choices. This way you can paint the colors in your space, with your lighting to determine which color you want, without having to purchase a gallon or even a quart of paint!


>Once you determine your color, determine how much paint you will need. Typically, one accent wall will not require more than 1 gallon. My wall as shown only used about half a gallon and that's after two coats of paint.


>Prep your space. Move all furniture, window coverings, hardware, outlet covers, etc. Use blue painter's tape to tape off corners, trim, and moldings. Adhere protective paper and/or canvas to protect your flooring or carpet. This is ESSENTIAL when using glitter. It will be messy, but worth it, so make sure you prep your area to catch the excess glitter.


>Paint. Unless your paint color contains primer as a 2 in 1 product, you will have to paint two coats to fully cover the wall space. I used my painting edger tool first to cut in next to the ceiling, air conditioning wall mount unit, side wall and floor board trim. I LOVE THIS TOOL. It is absolutely essential, as the wheels help you paint cut in a perfect straight line. Once the wall is "framed" with all corners cut in, it is very easy to now use your roller to apply the paint to the entire wall.


>Allow to dry completely. Repeat above step and allow to dry completely.


>Step back to determine if there's any areas you missed, or areas that may need additional cover up. Allow to dry.


>Once you are happy with the coverage, it's time for the fun part, the glitter application. I made my own glitter mix using fine gold and silver glitter, which I mixed on a paper plate. My ratio was 60% silver and 40% gold, as I wanted more of a champagne glitter color finish.


>Over your dried and completely finished wall, you are going to roll a small area, about 5' x 5', with your colored paint. You do not have to roll a heavy full coat, but just enough to sporadically wet the wall so that the glitter will stick to the top of the paint.


>Pour about a tablespoon of your glitter mixture onto a paper plate. At eye level, hold the plate between you and the wall and gently blow the glitter sparingly onto the wet areas, in a sweeping manner. You will have to adjust your height and your ladder to complete the 5' x 5' area. Step away and determine if you want more or less glitter. If you want more, repeat. If you've blown too much glitter on an area, simply paint over it, wait for it to dry, and repeat the process again. This can be repeated the following day after you've had a chance to see the glitter shimmer reveal in different lighting, which I believe is best in the evenings, with ambient lighting.


>Clean up. Once you're satisfied with your glitter effect, carefully pull up the painter's tape and floor protectant, which has captured most of your excess glitter.>Move all furniture, window coverings, hardware, outlet covers, etc. Use blue painter's tape to tape off corners, trim, and moldings. Adhere protective paper and/or canvas to protect your flooring or carpet. This is ESSENTIAL when using glitter. It will be messy, but worth it, so make sure you prep your area to catch the excess glitter.


>OPTIONAL: Create a Capiz shell curtain to go over your accent wall. I went hiking for my bamboo rod, which is about 9' long. A variety of sizes and colors can also be purchased online. Capiz shells (with holes) can also be ordered online, but I purchased a large used Capiz shell hanging that was all tangled up for $40 on craigslist. (I purchased it for the shells, not for the hanging!) I cut all of the shells off from the fishing line and re-strung them by tying them to a new long line of fishing line. I made 25 long strands, each with about 45 shells per strand. However, you can determine the width and length you need for your space. Once the shell strands are completed, I used the same fishing line to tie them to the bamboo pole. The bamboo pole is held in place using two large cup holder screw hooks. The glitter accent wall is beautiful by itself. However, with the iridescent Capiz shells, it's absolutely stunning!

Your inspiration!


I strung Capiz shells to create a "curtain" against my glittered accent wall.

Before...
Before...


Before moving in, is the perfect time to paint an accent wall!

During...
During...
My beautiful mess!
Acquire Capiz shells


I bought a tangled mess of Capiz shells... I found a large hanging Capiz lighting fixture in a second hand Honolulu store for $60 ! (Score of the century). The light fixture didn't work and was all tangled up, hanging outside underneath an overhang. I don't even think it was officially for sale until I inquired. Just goes to show, "one man's junk is another's treasure!"

Tying off Capiz shells...
Unattach and detangle shells


This is the time consuming part of the project, but well worth it! I restrung each shell with fishing line and then tied each strand to a bamboo pole, in varying lengths.

Voilà! The finished project.
Hang Capiz curtain


I used two large cup holder hooks to set my bamboo pole in and hand from my wall. The light captures the shells at every angle and make them sparkle like large pieces of glitter. Absolutely stunning.

Suggested materials:
  • Capiz shells   (Craigslist/Second hand store)
  • Paint   (City Mill)
  • Glitter   (WalMart)
Onecharmingtreasure
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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 1 comment
  • Jan Jan on Apr 21, 2020

    LOVE the whole project! The glitter wall is fabulous and the shells add a complete look. Lovely and unique!


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