How to Make Chevron Stripes
Paint your base color., Mark the peaks of your first stripe.At the top of your wall, or at the top of the portion to be painted, use a pencil to mark each peak for your top chevron stripe., Mark the peaks for your remaining rows., Plot the valleys...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Paint your base color.
If you plan on changing the color of the wall beneath the stripes, you should do so before you add the chevron pattern.
Let the base paint dry and cure for at least three days.Note that if you are satisfied with the color of the walls already and the paint is still in good shape, you can skip this step. -
Step 2: Mark the peaks of your first stripe.At the top of your wall
The peaks should be spaced apart evenly.
Use a level and yardstick to make sure that the peaks are also in an even horizontal line.
Otherwise, you could end up with a chevron stripe that slopes downward.
Chevron stripes consist of peaks and valleys.
The pattern should be even, so in order to accomplish this, the distance between the peaks should be the same as the distance between the valleys.
Note that a larger gap in between peaks will result in a wider set pattern while smaller gaps will create a tighter pattern. , Use a pencil to mark the peaks of the second row beneath the peaks of the first.
The vertical distance between peaks should be exactly the same as the horizontal distance, and the new peaks should be vertically even with the previous peaks.
Repeat for the remaining rows.
Use a yardstick and level to keep the peaks even both horizontally and vertically. , Use a pencil to lightly mark the valleys of each chevron stripe.
With the exception of the top row, each row of peaks should coincide with a row of valleys.
The valley points should be spaced evenly in between each pair of peak points.
All the valleys should be vertically aligned with one another.
Use a yardstick and a level to keep the points even.
Note that you will also need a final row of valley points below the final row of peak points. , Lay small strips of painters tape to create the outline of your chevron stripes.
Lay the tape peak to valley, valley to peak, peak to valley, valley to peak, and so on, until all the dots are connected.
When done, you should see the shape of your chevron stripes.
Lay the tape so that it falls out the outside of the stripes, rather than on the inside.
Do not worry if the interval stripe appears smaller than the rest.
This is only an optical illusion.
Make sure that the tape is securely and completely adhered to the wall to prevent possible bleeding underneath it. , While you can technically paint your chevron stripes directly from this point on, it can be a good idea to do a bit of preliminary work with the paint before diving straight into the final product.
Dab a little paint into the stripes using your roller.
Use the paint color that will go inside each row as you dab it on.
This will help you stay on track.
Use a paint roller or paintbrush to seal the edges of the tape in place with your base coat color.
Let dry before you paint. , Use a paint roller to carefully paint inside the outlined chevron stripes.
Let dry completely.
Work from top to bottom to avoid smudging and smearing. , Once dry, carefully peel the painters tape off the wall.
Your chevron pattern should now be complete.
You must wait until the paint is dry before removing the tape.
Otherwise, you could end up smearing the paint into another area. -
Step 3: or at the top of the portion to be painted
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Step 4: use a pencil to mark each peak for your top chevron stripe.
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Step 5: Mark the peaks for your remaining rows.
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Step 6: Plot the valleys.
-
Step 7: Tape off the pattern.
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Step 8: Do some preliminary painting.
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Step 9: Paint the stripes.
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Step 10: Remove the tape.
Detailed Guide
If you plan on changing the color of the wall beneath the stripes, you should do so before you add the chevron pattern.
Let the base paint dry and cure for at least three days.Note that if you are satisfied with the color of the walls already and the paint is still in good shape, you can skip this step.
The peaks should be spaced apart evenly.
Use a level and yardstick to make sure that the peaks are also in an even horizontal line.
Otherwise, you could end up with a chevron stripe that slopes downward.
Chevron stripes consist of peaks and valleys.
The pattern should be even, so in order to accomplish this, the distance between the peaks should be the same as the distance between the valleys.
Note that a larger gap in between peaks will result in a wider set pattern while smaller gaps will create a tighter pattern. , Use a pencil to mark the peaks of the second row beneath the peaks of the first.
The vertical distance between peaks should be exactly the same as the horizontal distance, and the new peaks should be vertically even with the previous peaks.
Repeat for the remaining rows.
Use a yardstick and level to keep the peaks even both horizontally and vertically. , Use a pencil to lightly mark the valleys of each chevron stripe.
With the exception of the top row, each row of peaks should coincide with a row of valleys.
The valley points should be spaced evenly in between each pair of peak points.
All the valleys should be vertically aligned with one another.
Use a yardstick and a level to keep the points even.
Note that you will also need a final row of valley points below the final row of peak points. , Lay small strips of painters tape to create the outline of your chevron stripes.
Lay the tape peak to valley, valley to peak, peak to valley, valley to peak, and so on, until all the dots are connected.
When done, you should see the shape of your chevron stripes.
Lay the tape so that it falls out the outside of the stripes, rather than on the inside.
Do not worry if the interval stripe appears smaller than the rest.
This is only an optical illusion.
Make sure that the tape is securely and completely adhered to the wall to prevent possible bleeding underneath it. , While you can technically paint your chevron stripes directly from this point on, it can be a good idea to do a bit of preliminary work with the paint before diving straight into the final product.
Dab a little paint into the stripes using your roller.
Use the paint color that will go inside each row as you dab it on.
This will help you stay on track.
Use a paint roller or paintbrush to seal the edges of the tape in place with your base coat color.
Let dry before you paint. , Use a paint roller to carefully paint inside the outlined chevron stripes.
Let dry completely.
Work from top to bottom to avoid smudging and smearing. , Once dry, carefully peel the painters tape off the wall.
Your chevron pattern should now be complete.
You must wait until the paint is dry before removing the tape.
Otherwise, you could end up smearing the paint into another area.
About the Author
Theresa Hart
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow home improvement tutorials.
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