1. Cut out your shape.
2. Trace around it lightly with chalk or a pencil.
3. Paint inside the lines.

Word to the wise:
Don't try to paint on paper like a stencil. The paint will soak through and get on your wall in places where you don't want it.

1. Print your shape on a regular piece of paper.
2. Use a tracer projector (available at walmart.com) to project your image onto the wall where you want it and at the size you want.
3. Paint your wall art by tracing the lines projected onto the wall.

1. Take your printed template to a local print center to have it enlarged to the size you want (optional).
2. On the back of the paper, use chalk to "color" over all the edges of the shape.
3. Place the paper on the wall with the printed shape facing outward, and trace along the edges with the chalk. This will transfer the outline onto the wall.
4. Paint inside the lines on the wall as if it were a coloring book.
5. After the paint is completely dry, if there's any excess chalk on the wall, wipe it away with a damp cloth.

1. Take your printed template to a local print center to have it enlarged to the size you want (optional).
2. Trace your shape on a large piece of clear, blank stencil plastic (available at Walmart). Be sure to use plastic instead of paper, because paper will fall apart when it becomes wet with paint.
3. Carefully cut out the shape from the plastic using a precision hobby knife. Be sure to cut on top of a surface that you don't mind damaging, like plywood. The remaining plastic is your stencil.
4. Tape the stencil to the wall, and paint inside it. For best results, be careful not to overload your brush, and hold the plastic close to the wall to prevent the paint from going underneath it.

• Buy wall decals to use as they are.
• Paint on top of white wall decals.
• Create small dots (as stars, for example) using the end of a paint brush or the eraser end of a pencil.
• Create circles using a lamp shade, bowl, lid, etc. as your template. Trace each circle onto cardboard, and cut it out. Trace the cardboard circle on the wall using water color colored pencils or chalk. Then paint inside the lines.
• Use a laser level and water color colored pencils or chalk to draw stripes, squares or other straight-edged shapes. Tape off your stripes or shapes for straighter edges.
• Draw freehand on your wall with water color colored pencils or chalk. Then paint over your drawings.