The Writing is on the Wall...

 Words on the wall have become so popular that even Walmart is selling sayings that you can just rub onto the wall with a little popcicle stick.  It can personalize a home by letting people know exactly what you feel is important.  There are some pre-made sayings that I love; "Always Kiss Me Goodnight" above your bed is such a nice thought.  "Dream" above a guest bed or childs bed is lovely.   But what if you want to do something completely personal?  Here's how to do it yourself for almost no money! 

You will need to know where your nearest copy store is located (Staples, Office Depot, Kinko's, etc) and the following:
-carbon paper - you can purchase this at Michaels or another craft store, and you can re-use each piece many times before it is all used up.  It comes in blue or black carbon color (I like the blue because it's so light, it's easier to paint over)
-level - after you cut out your words, the edges of the paper are probably not level anymore.  You will want to make sure the line directly under the words (not the paper's edge) is level on the wall.
-fine point pen to trace your letters
-paint

This project was for a client of Interior Designer Karen Dunlap (kmdinteriors.com).  The client wanted this phrase surrounding her children's school photos on the wall.  I measured the framed photos and cut out rectangles to size so I could easily move them around on the wall, then I arranged the words around it.  For the words, I simply printed them on the computer and took them to Staples and had them enlarged to the size I needed.  

Base paint in colors to complement the wall color.










I traced the words onto the wall as well as the moon and stars by taping my copied words on the wall and slipping the carbon paper between the copy and the wall, then tracing it.  ***Please make sure you are using the correct side of the carbon paper!  So many times I have spent 15 minutes tracing something, only to discover I had it the wrong side down and nothing went onto the wall!***

The photos to the right are of my own bedroom.  "In My Life" is my husband's and my song and I thought it was perfect to put up above our bed!  I used the same method as above, but after tracing, then painting the words in white, I went over them again in Benjamin Moores Metallic paint.  It is subtle but it shimmers! 
 





I love it and so did my husband when I suprised him with it!  **You can just see the blue carbon paper sticking out of the bottom of the phrase in the photo with the paper still taped to the wall **

The finished product.

You actually don't have to even use words for this to work.  For another client, Karen asked me to duplicate a wall clock that she'd found at Martha Stewart's website.  You can buy the clock hands and motor online (they had not arrived when I took the final photo but Karen said they look great!) 

I used the same technique.  Enlarged the clock at Staples, taped to the wall making sure it was level, then moved the carbon paper around as I  traced it onto the wall.  Once it was traced, it was just a matter of painting it.  I will say it can be an arduous task, so if you are just beginning, I would suggest a simplified design first.

The inspiration photo from Martha's website is above.

The lesson here is that if you can copy something and trace it, you can transfer it to your wall with the magic of carbon paper!  It could be fun to paint a cartoonish thought bubble above a child's bed with a saying in it that they always use or perhaps a nice "Welcome" at the front door.  How about writing "His" and "Her's" above you and your hubby's side of the bed with an arrow pointing to where your head would lay on the pillow?  Have fun with it!