What everyone should know about Painting Perfect Lines
Have you tried to paint perfect lines on your wall only to end up with a disaster?
Do you get frustrated when you try to paint two different colors and you can’t get your corners to look straight?
Interior Designers are NOT the only people on this planet that can paint stripes on a wall that look like (and probably cost!) a million bucks! Follow this super easy step-by-step tutorial and you can have million dollar walls as well.
The line where two colors meet can be the most stressful part of painting. Here’s an easy step-by-step tutorial on how to make those crisp perfect lines that everyone longs for.
If you try to free-hand your line chances are you’ll end up with a line that isn’t as much of a line as it is a “wave”.
If you tape off your line, you’ll usually end up with your paint bleeding under leaving an ugly mess!
But there really is an easy way to paint those crisp lines. Check it out:
First off, your going to need a good paint brush. Also, you’ll need your paint, preferably in a smaller container. Lugging around the gallon container of paint is no fun.
Okay, now let’s get down to business.
I wasn’t planning on doing a tutorial on this initially, so my pictures are of a few different walls and the colors seem to flip-flop between photos. I apologize in advance if they are confusing.
Step 1:
Take your 1st color and paint OVER the edge that you want a crisp line on. In this photo, my new color is the light gray on the right. The tan on the left is the color I’m painting over.
Step 2:
When your gray is dry you are going to tape off where you want your crisp line to be. I prefer to use Multi-purpose Frog Tape. Make sure you put the majority of your tape on top of your 1st color (light gray). You want to tape off your wall so that you can paint your 2nd color edge.
Step 3:
Once you have your wall taped off, you will paint down the edge of the tape with your first color (light gray). This “seals” the tape. Any paint that’s going to bleed under the tape will be this 1st color, which is the same color as your newly painted wall, so when it bleeds, it will blend in.
Step 4:
When your 1st color (light gray) on the tape edge dries, it’s time to paint with your 2nd color (I’m using dark gray). Take your brush and paint down the same edge over the tape. Allow this coat to dry.
Step 5:
When your 2nd color (dark gray) is mostly dry, it’s time to remove the tape. It should peel up easily, but pull slowly just in case. It’s shocking how crisp that line is, isn’t it!?!
Step 6:
Take a step back and revel at your masterpiece. Now pat yourself on the back for creating perfect crisp straight painted lines.
This tutorial is from a wall that is angled only 45 degrees, but this technique works perfectly for stripes on flat walls, corners, angles, and even houses that have walls with rounded corners.
In fact, these lines were painted on rounded corners. This technique works for any wall, and does not discriminate against surface type, corner type, or texture thickness.
And here’s a handy-dandy chart that quickly gives a step-by-step tutorial in case you forget. Go ahead and bookmark this.
Have you tried this before? I’m definitely NOT the first person to paint this way. I actually learned this technique from reading blogs, just like you! I’d love to link back and give credit to the owner of this idea, but I’ve seen it on many different blogs, and is a pretty universal technique.
If you have any rooms (or projects) with lines where you’d painted this way, share your link in my comments section so other readers can check out your post as well!
Happy painting!
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Welcome to House of Hepworths! HoH is primarily a Home Blog that specializes in DIY projects and renovations, crafts, and decorating. My name is Allison. My family and I live in Austin, Texas. I'm married to Ben and have two children, a 10 year old son and an almost-8 year old daughter. To find out more or to contact me click 
Wow it is just perfect !!! Amazing how crisp that line is!! Thank you for the tip!
Also, I have a Great New Giveaway from Blydesign! Come and enter!
xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
Brilliant! I never would have thought to do that. Looks like I am going to have to fix some spots in my house =)
Good luck on finding the owner of this sweet idea. I painted my house using this technique five years ago! I flip-flopped between this and using calking to seal the edge. Using paint for a sealer was better in the end – and cheaper, too!
wow! that is awesome! will keep that in the files for when we paint! thanks for sharing!
I KNOW how to do this, but your tips are dead on! You make it look really easy! Great post!
gail
I saw someone (on HGTV) use matte MODPODGE (SP?). Let it dry and then paint over it. Your idea is WAY better. No need to waste your craft supplies.
The sealing part with the first color is brilliant! I wish I knew that when painting my girls’ room’s ceiling. My house is old, and the walls aren’t exactly even, but I bet this would work anyway. Thank you!
Thats amazing!! I wonder if it will work for my ceiling too?
I’ve never seen that before. It is FANTASTIC! I’m so impressed. Thank you for sharing this!
Very interesting. I have not had a problem with paint bleeding under the tape but prefer your method just to be sure.
When pouring your paint into a smaller container – use a soup-bowl… the ones with a loopy handle on the side, they look like a large coffee mug. Then it’s REALLY easy to carry around with you – only one hand, or 2 fingers, required.
super fab tip girl! tfs! painting this week so i am sure to use it on the accent wall! hugs!
Love it!
Now what is your tip for painting 2 colors on outer corners (is that what they are called? where the corner points out, not in) when 2 colors meet? That is there I have a super hard time.
FABULOUS tip! I mean, seriously FABULOUS! I never would have come up with this! Thank so much for posting!
Love it! Thank you for showing how!
i cant say it enough i just love how the two shades of gray accent each other… I just might have to dive in and paint the walls in my dinning/kitchen area that I have been putting off… oh and i checked out baseboards in Home Depot yesterday.. it was casing but still looked good AND was cheaper. I just might get those baseboards up one of these days!
You just changed my life! I just moved into a house that has to be completely repainted (I’m talking every single room!). I love accent walls so this would be perfect! Thank you!!!!
Fantastic! I think I like this idea better than using caulk of spackle to fill the edge, because maybe you don’t have to work as quickly to get the tape peeled?
~Amanda
This is fantastic! Thanks for sharing. I’m linking it to my blog so I’ll be able to remember this next time I’m painting a wall.
What a FABULOUS idea!!!! I wish I had known about this when I painted my stripes. I have uneven nonsense that drives me bonkers!
Wow!! That is so cool!! I am going to save this for sure!! Thanks
Hugs
SueAnn
New houses all have that ‘textured’ wall surface…so hard to get a crisp edge!!! That’s so much easier (and faster) than using a 1/4″ brush to ‘touch up’ the seams….saved this post for the future!! Thanks!!
Great tips! Love the colors also. I have just found your blog and have been having fun reading over your posts.Great information, look forward to more!
Awesome! So what are your tips for getting a clean line on the ceiling (when we aren’t painting the ceiling)?! I think I’m ready to tackle the livingroom with this technique – but the ceiling lines are worrying me!
This is fantastic! I love the colors you chose!
OMG!! You did it!! Did you paint the corners this way? I think you said you did… I am totally going to go over my rounded corners and make them have the line down the center.
P.S. I am working on framing out my daughters rounded window “sill.” I will email you pictures once it’s done!
That’s awesome and so simple! Yes! add that to my good idea list!
Thanks for this awesome tutorial! Wish I would have found this before I painted my living room & kitchen a few months back! Would have saved me some major time!!
Much easier than any attempt at a steady hand! I’m loving the grays too, gray is my favorite color! xoxo
You make it look easy to do such work. Thank you for your post. Although I have problems with color combinations.
Hi! Thanks for linking this post to last week Sunday Parade! We hope you will link the parade and link up again this week!
Great tuturial!! Seriously, this is great advice for new homeowners or homeowners who are new at DIY!! You should submit this to ehow!! Great!!
Lindsay @ A Design Story
Thanks for the tutorial! I always struggle to get a nice crisp clean line.
I absolutely love your blog! I discovered it through Thrifty Decor Chick! (Congrats on the awesome review she gave you!) I’m new to this blogging world and am really enjoying sharing and learning! I was so shocked to see your blog on the perfect painted line! I recently published one myself. After reading yours I realize there is so much I have yet to learn!
http://ourhousestory.blogspot.com/2011/03/fine-line.html
Just gave this a try on the bullnose corner of my dining room ceiling that transitions into the vaulted living room. Never in my life have I seen such a perfect line! So glad I read this before attempting to paint and touch-up. Thank you!
Wow! That is amazing!!! It looks beautiful!!
Beautifully paint colors. This is one of the best tutes I’ve seen on how to paint a crisp line. Thank you!
WOW! What a fantastic tutorial and it makes perfect sense, although I never would have thought of it!! I LOVE this and have it bookmarked for future use!!
THANK YOU!!!
Thank you sooooo much! I have nearly the same colors and have been going crazy with the bleed through of dark on to light!! If I could reach through this computer I would kiss you!! Again thank you
Thanks for the instructions! It looks so awesome!
Great technique!! Thank you for explaining this. My new house needs a lot of this done to it and I was scared of those lines. Now, thanks to you, I’ll be able to tackle these walls.
Planning to use the paint trick tomorrow….great idea! I have a Wooster stub handled angled brush that I love. The handle is rubber so it is very comfortable in your hand and feels like you have a lot more control of the brush. Thanks for the tip.
Love it! What brand of paint did you use, I really love the Bedofrd Grey!
Wow !! That’s amazing. Needed that trick quite a few times.. will do next time. Thanks for sharing.
Blimey. I wish I would have known this little trick before I painted my whole bedroom this week! Tomorrow will be a big day of touch-ups and crisp line attempts!
Never occurred to me to do it this way!–but I love it! Thanks for the tutorial.
Ok, I love this, but if my tape sits too long my paint peels off like how dried glue peels off a kid’s hands. So, is there a tip to avoid that?
That is freaking AWESOME! I am pretty dang good at painting the line freestyle, but heavy texture kicks my A$$! Can’t wait to try this out. It makes PERFECT sense though! Thanks!
This is like so way fantastic! Now, PLEASE tell me how to get a clean line on the ceiling (when you’re not painting the ceiling – just the wall. I need help with that! My ceiling lines look like a 3 year old painted them.
This is so helpful! Thanks!!!
http://munchtalk.blogspot.com/
This is BRILLIANT!!!! I have never had my edges turn out so perfectly wonderful! Thanks so much! Ran across you on Pintrest again.