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Easy Art for Large Walls

63 Replies

I bought the wrong green.

We were in the middle of carpeting our downstairs rec room, which we use as a bedroom for the younger kids.   The previous green was too institutional.  It reminded me of hospital scrubs or cheap mint ice cream.  I felt queasy just looking at it.

I was thrilled when my husband told me I should paint the room before our new carpet arrived.  I headed to Home Depot, determined not to repeat the same mistake.  I would choose a richer, darker green, and we would live happily ever after.

But the green I picked in the store was not the green I brushed on the wall.  I gasped when I saw that first stroke.  It was darker.  Waaaaaay darker.  And richer.  Like mud.  It was the wrong green.  But we didn’t have time to fix it.  The carpet was coming and the paint had to be on the walls first.  The first coat went up, and I hoped I would like it better after the second.  But I didn’t.  I hated it.

I spent the next couple days standing in the empty room, alternately crying and brainstorming how to fix it.  The room looked like a cave, not a whimsical child’s room.  Could I put a lighter glaze over it?  Attempt some kind of faux finish?  Both of those options were risky.  Then one night, an idea came to me.  I’d paint giant silhouettes on the wall with some paint I already had on hand.   It was a free solution with many benefits: it would draw the eye away from the awful green, lighten the room, and decorate the bare walls all in one shot.  Here’s what I did.

Kya's shadow made into art

First, I had my five-year-old stand in front of a lamp so I could project her shadow onto the wall.  I quickly outlined her with a white colored pencil, then simply filled in the outline with beige wall paint.  It took several coats to cover the swamp green.  I drew the dandelion freehand, which is probably why it looks like a 4th of July Sparkler, but I didn’t have a dandelion and I wanted to have the effect of the fuzz blowing over the bunk bed, as if carried on the wind.

Next, I painted Faith up against the steps, reading a book.  I used the same technique: I had her sit in front of a lamp until I got the shadow where I wanted it.  I traced it quickly and filled it in with paint.  So simple.

Faith's silhouette

After I drew Faith, I decided I wanted her leaning against a tree, so I painted a tree on the wall freehand.   I didn’t sketch it out first, but you certainly could, or project a branch on the wall if you’re nervous about it.  I added leaves, and a little J+K heart detail for my sweetie.  After looking at it, I thought the whole thing could use a little color, so I painted a couple more leaves in a lime green.  I didn’t want too many, because I wanted to keep the shadow effect, but a little color is nice.  Here’s another shot to show you how BIG it is!  What a great way to cover a lot of empty space.

A tree grows in the rec room

I also added some butterflies, snails, and toadstools around the room.  Maybe I’ll even paint an owl.

A snail for Faith

Then, I found the sweetest sheer curtains at World Market.  They look like they were made for the room, and they were on sale!  I had to buy them.

Curtain detail

The furniture in the room was old and mismatched, so we moved my great-grandmother’s lowboy dresser downstairs.  I love the look of it in the room, even without its mirror.

Another view of the room

On the very left of the picture above,  you can see the edge of the frame of a watercolor done by another great-grandma nearly 100 years ago.  The colors are perfect for the room, as is the charm.  She picked great greens (unlike me).

Watercolor, done by my great-grandma Barnhill, 1925

The other wall was really dark because it has no windows, so I painted an abstract of flowers for a pop of color.  It didn’t turn out quite the way I hoped, but it still works.  I hung it over a dresser I found on craigslist for $25.  The basket-weave adds to the “picnic” feel of the room, and goes with the antique dresser.  We also have lots of kids’ books to display!

Here’s another perspective to show the scale of the shadow art.  It’s about 1/3 bigger than the real child.

We’d love to trade that bright blue bunk bed for a wooden one, but for now, it’s functional for our big family, even if it doesn’t quite work with the theme of the room.  If you look closely, you can see the dandelion fluff blowing over the bed.

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed...

All in all, I am happy with the way the room turned out, given the color mistake!

What do you think?  Are you ready to try shadow art on your big walls?

63 thoughts on “Easy Art for Large Walls”

  4. Jen

    I LOVE it! God just showed you that what we think are mistakes at first sight are really just the canvas for something GREAT! The silouettes look amazing. Had you gotten the green you wanted, you would have just had plain old walls :)

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    1. fiveintow

      Isn’t that so cool! God has been working on that with me. He always works for my good, even with the little stuff like redeeming a project gone bad.

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    1. fiveintow

      Thanks! My husband hates dandelions, probably because he has an ongoing battle with them in our yard, but there’s something about them that captures the essence of childhood. I love them. :)

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    1. fiveintow

      You know I want to come over to your house just to freak out your husband. “Hello, your cyber-stalker is here!” P.S. I also rock at knowing every John Denver lyric ever written.

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  10. Tracie

    Isn’t that just what God does in our lives? He takes situations that aren’t perfect and puts His touch on them to make them better. Good job!

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  14. Laura Young

    I am so impressed. I thought I was really something because I painted a wall in my living room. One color. The first color was wrong, so I felt like a real martyr having to buy another gallon and begin again. You are amazing, and the shadow art is the coolest idea ever. Way to go, and thanks for sharing. What fun.

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    1. fiveintow

      I felt like a martyr too! Poor Jeff had to listen to me moan about it for days before I figured something out. If we had the extra money, I would have painted over it, but I couldn’t stand spending another $60 for a mistake.

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  16. Anne

    This turned out so cute! I love it – and I love the look of the dandelion. :-) And the pieces from the great-grandmas look awesome in the room.

    Reply ↓
    1. fiveintow

      I was really happy to be able to use the pieces in the room. Originally, I planned to hang small picture frames from the branches of the tree with photos of the extended family, but now I think it willbe too cluttered, so I’m going to have to find a way to incorporate them in another way.

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  17. SweetP

    What a fabulous job! Congrats! I can only dream of doing something like this on my own. Artisitic talent I have not. I’m sure your children will love this room, it’s been decorated with love!

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  21. the joyful potter

    That looks fabulous!! I bet your daughters love having themselves on the walls. Whimsical, personalized, perfect. Good job! (and just think, it wouldn’t have quite worked so well with a lighter green. This one was just right for shadows!)

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  22. chrissythehyphenated

    An (fellow) artist friend of mine gave me some valuable advice years ago. “Use your mistakes to your advantage” and “Never tell anyone where your mistakes are … or were.” I have to say BRAVO on part one and thank you for ignoring part two. We are richer for your willingness to share. WHAT A FABULOUS ROOM!! I can’t wait to share this blog with my buds.

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        1. fiveintow

          That’s very sweet. :) I saw one at World Market that I really liked, but the colors weren’t quite right (and it was way too expensive) so I thought I could make one like it. It turned out alright, as long as I don’t compare it to the real thing!

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  24. frogprincess1218

    Absolutely incredible!!! I’m tucking that idea away for future use :) also, I love how the whole room came together! (minus bunks, hope you get those wooden ones!) Personally, I think it looks like it was designed and then you went out and got everything to fit the design instead of the other way around! Wonderful :)

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  25. adventuresofthe3littlethings

    Beautiful!! Love the whimsical, yet simple, effect of the children’s shadows – something they will love and treasure!!

    Green paint is evil, isn’t it? It took us multiple tries, and final paint color was still “off” from the sample color I put on the wall – even with the exact same mix!! But, it had been the same nursery decor for eight years and three children… I was ready to put those ponies out to pasture myself – so I, too, will live with a slightly off green!

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  27. nmetzler

    This makes me wish I had a big wall somewhere… Unfortunately, the only wall that *might* have been big enough in my house, I convinced my husband to put in a gigantic window. But the tree with Faith reading beside it, definitely wish I could do. Maybe I’ll go try to do this at my Moms. (I’ll just tell her you said I should. *winks*)

    Reply ↓
    1. fiveintow

      I’ll take the blame. :) A large window sounds lovely, too. I love having a house full of light. I’m fortunate that we found a house with lots of windows and a great view. It’s been a fixer, for sure, but I’ve enjoyed looking OUT while we fix up the IN.

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      1. nmetzler

        I have a love for fixer-uppers. I’m constantly looking at beat up old houses thinking of all the things I could do with them. :) My husband thinks its a disease.

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  31. outeatoutsleepoutslack

    Gosh lady! If I were in your shoes, I’d still be crying over the wrong green and thereby possibly flooding the whole place. Life doesn’t always give you lemons, sometimes it gives you the wrong green instead. So if life gives you the wrong green, do a Kristen. You did a great job! So pretty and precious.

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