Children's 'Do it yourself' murals

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Creating children's murals with overhead projectors

Here I show you how you can easily create a mural by tracing our designs from the Magic-mural-factory.com onto the wall with an overhead projector and following the easy paint by number instructions.

How to create a children's mural using an overhead projector 

How to do it

1.
Place your overhead transparency onto the overhead projector.

2.
Project the image onto the wall.
Spend some time moving the image around until you are happy with the position and the size on the wall.

Trace the design lightly onto the wall using a soft pencil crayon.


3.
Paint in the colors following the numbered guide and finally outline the design with a black marker if you wish.

FAQ's
I can't even draw a stick figure. Will I be really able to do this?
It's really very easy. Just project the image onto the wall, trace the lines and then paint the areas with the corresponding colors. It's just like coloring in a coloring book.

How long will it take?
You'll not only be done before you know it, but it should only take about a weekend.

Where do I find an overhead projector?
If you can't borrow one from an office, church, library or school, overhead projectors can be hired on a daily basis from many local hire shops and DIY stores.

Where do I find the paints?
We can recommend the Americana paints by DecoArt, but any reasonable quality artists acrylic paints can be used and bought at hobby stores, artist shops and DIY stores.

Americana paints can be found at most craft and art supply stores.

Do I have to prep the wall before starting?
For best results the wall should be clean and dust and dirt free.

What type of paint should I use for the background - matte, semi-gloss or what?
It's best to use a satin, semi-gloss or eggshell finish. This way smudges from the transfer paper can be removed with a damp cloth.

Can I paint it on any color of wall?
Most murals will do best on a white or off white or very pale color. The only exception is the Carousel of Critters. This should be on a little darker color so the white animals will show up. Try a light cream, light blue or light sage green.

Why shouldn't I trace the numbers too?
It's best if you don't only because some of the numbers might show through the lighter colored paints. You might want to try to do a test first.

Can I reverse the patterns so the design faces the opposite direction?
Yes. Simply flip the transparency which ever side you prefer.. Trace design, and flip over the pattern.

Children's Paint by Number mural designs from our website 

Trace onto the wall using an overhead projector



Click the images for details of these inspirational mural designs.

These children's mural Kits include a step-by-step instruction manual with decorating tips and painting techniques, and five to ten transparencies of exotic artwork. (The delux kits have ten transparencies and the standard kits have 5 transparencies.

See more designs at the Magic Mural Factory

Projector mural books 

Designs ready made for you to use to create a stunning mural for your child.

Projection Stenciling

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Stencil artists extraordinaire Linda Buckingham and Leslie Bird have hit upon a truly brilliant approach to their subject that enables even novices to create high-quality, large-scale designs. Their method entails covering the paintable surface with freezer paper (adhered with stencil spray adhesive), projecting the image onto the paper using an overhead or slide projector, and tracing the design onto the paper. Each design element is then color-coded and cut out one color at a time. In effect, the usually complex process of producing wall murals is reduced to the simplicity of a paint-by-number scheme. The 40 step-by-step projects include materials lists, color codes, color photos of the finished work, and complete gridded patterns of each design, so even if you don't have access to any of the various projectors adaptable to this process (though they can be rented for surprisingly little), you can still follow the technique using the old-fashioned grid-transfer method.
Not only is Buckingham and Bird's approach ingenious, but their designs are stunning, and greatly varied in style. They fill walls with schools of tropical fish, a soaring Pegasus, peaceful landscapes, an airborne snowboarder, the cow jumping over the moon, a dozing tiger. Doors sport faux wood inlay, a gliding ocean liner, desert scenes. Glass can be "etched" with elegant stencil designs. Floorcloths feature cobblestones or swirling art nouveau designs. Every room in the house is fair game to these two, and not only in the house: one of the authors lives aboard a boat crammed with stenciled surfaces. This volume is both a marvelous source of inspiration and a practical, beautifully produced how-to guide. --Amy Handy

Amazon Price: $14.75 (as of 12/27/2009) Buy Now

Projection Art for Kids: Murals & Painting Projects for Kids of All Ages

Editorial Reviews

Book Description
Even people who think they have no talent for visual art can create eye-catching murals using the simple projection art techniques described in this book. Covering projection, tracing, painting techniques, and the use of paint pens, the book includes projects for nurseries, daycare centers, and children's and teenagers' rooms. Readers can learn how to transform a room with a landscape scene, a classic motorcycle, sports figures, favorite cartoons, animals, or anything else you can think of. Color photos and illustrations throughout are provided.

Amazon Price: $10.17 (as of 12/27/2009) Buy Now

Can one ever have too many decor books? 

I don't think so!!

Browse these 'Must have's' for decoating children's rooms.
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Have you ever painted a mural for your child? 

Or just tell me what you think about my lens

Tell me what inspires you?
What you found most useful?
What mural products did you use? ie (paint by numbers, stencils)
Tell me about your experience.
Tell me what you think about this lens or what's missing.
Or just give me feedback!

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  • Reply
    Paulina Paulina Oct 4, 2009 @ 3:24 am
    Definitely - when my daughter was a teenager, I painted (by hand and drew) a farm of sway-back cows; pigs wallowing in the mud along w/all the sorted things which made it a farm on the long wall of her room.
    She just loved "pigs" and "Elvis" at the time.
    On the closet door wall I drew and painted her an Elvis wall and, lastly, over the head of her bed I drew/painted the "Guardian Angel" which is usally depicted watching the two children crossing a bridge.
    It took about a month.
    When she was newly-born, I painted a "Winne-the-Pooh" mural complete w/Christopher Robin and "the" tree.
  • Reply
    Jay Dore Jay Dore Jan 28, 2009 @ 8:57 am
    Love the Lens - Great info on using a projector to paint murals. I also liked you listing of books on decor - saves me time on searching, thanks. If you have a chance you might check my Kids Room Ideas blog
  • Reply
    WallStories WallStories Nov 17, 2008 @ 9:19 am | in reply to ddixonart
    Thanks ddixonart- great idea
  • Reply
    ddixonart ddixonart Nov 17, 2008 @ 9:17 am
    You should add some links on here for Artograph projectors. There is an Artograph Jr that is only about $30 that people might want to try in the place of the overhead projector. The Jr works pretty good, the image area is just quite a bit smaller, but it will work for this.
  • Reply
    sarahjjac sarahjjac Jul 29, 2008 @ 12:32 pm
    I have always wanted to do something like this in my kids room. Now I know where to go when I am ready! Great lens!
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by WallStories

I am the owner of  www.magic-mural-factory.com and I want to show you how easily you can create your own children's murals. (more)

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