Do you have a blank wall and some leftover paint? Great! You have almost everything you need to paint a circle on your wall. My method to paint large circles is better than the string-around-a-pencil way. I use a flat nylon strap (or duct tape sticky side up would also work) with a tiny hole for the tip of a pencil. This is the best way to create a perfect circle on your wall. Click the video below or scroll down for the steps.
Materials
- Paint
- Roller
- Small paint brush
- Flat nylon strap or duct tape sticky side up
- Tiny nail
- Hammer
- Spackle
- Scissors
- Knife
- Pencil
- Drop cloth
- Painter’s tape– this is the best!
Steps
- Find the center point
Decide how large you want to paint your circle. In my case, I painted a half circle rather than the full circle, but the process is the same. Halve that measurement to find the center of your half circle and make a small pencil mark. If you are painting a half circle above trim or something attached to the wall, make your mark 1/2 inch above where you expect the bottom of the circle to be so there is space for the strap to rotate.
- Attach the strap to the wall
Use a hammer and a small nail to attach the end of your strap to the wall where you made the pencil mark. Don’t worry about the hole; you are painting anyway so you can cover it with a dab of spackle later. Or don’t and you’ll probably never even notice.
- Make a hole for the pencil
Gently pull the strap out to where the edge of the circle will be and make a tiny hole with a sharp knife. The hole should be just big enough to insert the tip of a pencil but not so large that the whole pencil fits through. Use scissors to cut the strap off an inch or two beyond the hole.
- Draw the circle (or half circle)
Insert the pencil and draw your circle or half circle. Make sure that the strap stays flush to the wall so the line is perfect. Don’t pull so hard that you pull the nail out of the wall.
- Prep and paint
Remove the nail and admire the perfect shape! If the hole is visible, use the tip of your finger to apply a very small amount of spackle. Once it’s dry, sand lightly and sweep clean.
Prep your area for paint with a drop cloth and painters tape. Or live on the wild side and deal with the mess later. I started with the roller first because that’s how I…. umm… roll (haha). You can start with the edge first if you prefer. I painted a smidge outside the pencil line with an angled brush so that I didn’t have to go back and erase it.
Follow the instructions on your paint can and repeat for a second coat. - Unpro tip
When you paint the edge, resist the urge to make it look perfect. I promise that when you stand back, you won’t even notice how uneven it looks from three inches away. Here is an up-close look at my line. See… not perfect.
And that’s it!
Easy and nearly impossible to mess up. Half circles look great painted above couches, beds or in my case, above a dining bench. It is a cheap and easy way to add character to your space. And if you hate it after a few years (or days), you can just paint over it and pretend like it never happened.
