How to Paint Vines on a Wall

Sketch a basic pattern on your wall with a piece of chalk. Focus on drawing the trunk and the stems of the vine, not the leaves.

Mix acrylic paint on a plastic plate. The stem of a vine tends to be darker than the leaves. Mix in a few drops of matte medium if the paint is too thick. Thin the paint enough so you can make a fluid line. Test the paint on a sheet of scrap paper and adjust the consistency accordingly.

Paint the trunk and stems on the wall with a thin lettering brush. Let the paint dry. Wipe off any chalk lines with a damp sponge.

Spray the backs of your leaf stencils with spray adhesive. Let the adhesive dry to a tacky finish.

Mix some colors to paint the leaves of your vine. Consider that vines look different at different times of year. Vines in the fall may include some hints of red. Young leaves tend to be lighter in color than older leaves.

Start at the bottom of the trunk of the vine and work your way out to the tips of the outer tendrils. Press the sticky backing of the stencil to the wall.

Dip a make-up sponge in paint. Press the sponge against the openings in the stencil. Make sure that the whole leaf is filled in with a layer of color.

Remove the stencil. Wipe it off with a damp sponge to remove excess paint.

Reposition the stencil along another area of the vine. Do not put the stencil on top of wet paint. When the leaves you painted earlier are dry, you can go back to paint overlapping leaves on top. Continue adding leaves until your vine has the desired degree of complexity.