Pinstriping Tips

Background

• Paint the wall with the main color of your pinstriping technique. Paint the entire wall this solid color and allow it to dry for at least 24 hours before proceeding with your pinstriping process. Painting the wall the full color saves you from having to go back and retape stripes and paint an additional color.

Create Spacers

• Decide how wide you want the pinstripes to be, and cut a piece of wood to that size. Make it easier and use a piece of picture molding or quarter round molding so you don't have to cut it. Next, decide how much space you want in between each pinstripe. Cut a wooden ruler to that width. Level the molding on the wall, and draw the lines for your pinstripe. Hold your spacer to the edge of the pinstripe to determine where the molding strip goes next. Continue measuring and drawing your lines, making sure they're level.

Taping

• Tape off the edges of the pinstripes with low tack painter's tape. Paint your pinstripe from the tape to the center of the pinstripe to help prevent paint from seeping below the tape. Paint only as much as is needed to cover the wall and avoid over painting. Over painting can cause the tape to release from the wall, ruining the crisp line of the pinstripes.

Faux Pinstripes

• Create faux pinstripes without paint. Use decorative tacks pressed into the wall to give the illusion of pinstripes. Adhere thin ribbon to your wall to replicate the appearance of pinstriping. Draw pinstripes on the wall with paint pens or colored markers. As long as the lines are thin and level, you'll achieve the appearance of pinstriping with less work.