Better Homes and Gardens (Australia)
EASY STEPS TO YOUR WALL ARCHES
Inject colour and pattern into your living space with painted arches. Made from budget-friendly MDF, they are a cross between wallpaper and a feature wall.
Living in a rental property has a lot of pluses – got a leaky roof or a storm-flattened fence? Just call your landlord! But, there’s also the drawback of needing permission to make big changes and maybe having to cover the costs. The solution? Style your space with portable projects that won’t break the bank.
Gather your supplies
• 2440 x 1220 x 9mm MDF panels (3)
• Primer and acrylic paint in green and blue
• 89 x 19mm x 1.8m DAR pine (3)
You’ll also need Circular saw; pencil; nail; hammer; string; jigsaw; tape measure; painter’s tape; paint trays and rollers; PVA glue; straightedge; 3M picture hanging strips
For you to note
• These arches are 800mm wide but you can customise the size to suit your space.
• The arches aren’t attached to the wall. A batten on the back lets you rest them on the wall, making a shadowline which adds depth.
Here’s how
STEP 1 Cut panels to measure 800mm wide with a circular saw.
STEP 2 Draw a line across each panel 600mm from top. Hammer a nail onto each panel, centred on this line. Attach 1 end of a 400mm length of string to nail and the other to pencil. Use pencil to scribe an arc across panel top.
STEP 3 Apply primer to each panel using a roller, leave to dry.
STEP 4 Apply a coat of green paint to each panel using a roller, leave to dry.
STEP 5 Use tape measure to mark points in pencil 80mm apart across panels. Repeat marks down length of panels.
STEP 6 Draw vertical lines to join marked points using a straightedge.
STEP 7 Apply 2 strips of painter’s tape within marked lines of every second section. TIP Using 36mm wide tape means you only have a little gap between strips.
STEP 8 Using a small roller, apply blue paint to first masked off section, then third and so on across the panel. Leave to dry.
STEP 9 Pull off painter’s tape on an angle while paint is still tacky, taking care not to smudge paint. Leave to dry.
STEP 10 Attach battens to back of panels flush with base and 200mm from the top using PVA glue. Leave glue to set.
STEP 11 Use hanging strips on battens to secure arches to wall, evenly spaced.