DIY Network

Plaid Paint Technique From "Ask DIY" episode ADI-408

Nancy Golden demonstrates the techniques for a paint technique that yields this eye-catching plaid design.

Q: I want to try my hand at some kind of paint technique in my bathroom. Can you give me any ideas and detailed instructions?

A: (from Decorating pro, Nancy Golden) Plaid painting is a relatively simple paint technique that's certain to be an attention grabber. It's an easy project, as long as you are careful and take some care in laying out your design and painting. For simplicity and clarity in our demonstration, the paint techniques were illustrated on a sample board. You would employ the same techniques for painting your wall.

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E
	Figure F
	Figure G
	Figure H
	Figure I
	Figure J

Materials:

Tape measure
Level
Wall paint in two colors
Translucent glaze (available at paints stores)
Paint rollers and paint tray
Painter's masking tape
Circuit tester

Steps:

• Use a tape measure to measure off and mark the vertical lines for your plaid pattern. In our demonstration, our pattern was created with 6-inch squares, so marks were made at 6-inch increments (figure A). Once you've marked the locations of your lines, use a level to help you mark perfectly straight and level lines. Use the edge of the level as a straight edge.

• Once you've marked your horizontal lines, connect the vertical lines with straight horizontal lines (figure B). In our demonstration, the plaid pattern was laid out with a stair-step effect, so the top row was only a single 6-inch square, the second row was two squares, the third row was three, and so on.

• Once you've marked off your pattern with pencil lines, use painter's masking tape to mark of the squares in the pattern (figure C). Use special painter's masking tape to ensure that the tape won't lift off any of the paint when it's removed.

• Make certain when laying out the squares that the edge of the tape forms the outside edge of each square (figure D). This will ensure that you get a full 6x6-inch block of color for each square, and that all the squares are uniform.

• You may find it helpful, before you begin painting, to use a pencil to mark what colors will go in which squares. This will help you plan the plaid layout and avoid confusion once you begin painting.

• For our plaid, we chose two complementary colors of a similar hue -- a muted greenish blue, and a muted pink-orange. Using a paint roller, begin painting your first square (figure E), then paint all of the squares that are designated to be that color. In our case, we painted the green squares first.

• Let the paint dry on those squares, then carefully remove the tape to reveal the straight lines of the pattern.

• Next, tape off the squares that will be painted in the second color (figure F). In our case, this was the muted pink.

• Paint the second set of rows in the second color (figure G).

• Let the paint dry on those squares as well, then carefully remove the tape to reveal the stair-stepped pattern beginning to take shape.

• For the third paint -- and to create the plaid pattern -- use the same taping technique, and use a translucent glaze for painting alternating vertical stripes over the previous two colors (figure H). In our case, we used an ivory translucent glaze. These glazes are available from home centers and paint stores, and are applied just like ordinary wall paint.

• Once the glaze dries, remove the tape (figure I) to reveal the finished plaid pattern.

• In our finished pattern (figure J), the stair-step effect at the end is known by the design term ziggurat effect.