Wall Decals: Quotes Make Beautiful Wall Decor

Art for your walls … can take the shape of an oil painting, a simple framed poster, a metal sculpture.  But what if you’re looking for one piece that’s personally expressive, the perfect color and size for your decor and well within the most modest of budgets.  A quote, a sonnet or simple haiku artfully lettered on your wall is a delightful choice.

There are two ways to achieve this.  One is to actually trace the quote onto your wall in your chosen font and paint it using acrylic paints. The other is to purchase ready-made vinyl decal quotes.   I’ll discuss both in this article beginning with custom lettering that you’ll paint yourself. Either way, wonderfully gratifying results can be achieved. 

An obvious advantage to doing your own lettering is that you can literally write whatever you want. For instance, I love mid-century modern furnishings and chose a few lines from a poem that became popular in the 70’s. It appeared on a poster in the movie, Love Story. You see how personal, then, this work of art can be. In any case once you’ve chosen your quote, saying or poem follow these simple directions. The photos that accompany the directions show the project I completed in my own home.

1. Open WORD on your computer and browse the available fonts for one appropriate for both your quote and your décor. If there are none that appeal to you, there are many free downloadable fonts on the Internet.
2. Type your quote as a WORD file in the way that it will appear on the wall. In other words, decide how you wish to lay out the words. Perhaps you would like to see three lines, each one centered. Or maybe there will be a one line haiku with the poet on the next line right justified.
3. Now measure the wall space that you wish to cover.
4. Enlarge your text so that it fits appropriately onto the space. Depending on the percentage you will enlarge, you’ll only get one to two full sized words on each page. So now your literary selection will become a stack of pages.
5. Now you’ll need a roll of paper that can be easily found at any craft store like Michael’s or A.C. Moore’s. It shouldn’t be very wide as you only need to get one line of running text on it. Draw a horizontal line an inch or two up from the bottom. You’ll trace your letters on this line so that the text stays perfectly even. This line, of course, won’t be transferred to the wall.
6. Place your enlarged words one at a time under the stretched out roll of paper making sure that they are placed squarely on the horizontal line. Trace your quote or poem just the way you want it to appear.
7. Using low tack tape, affix each line of traced text onto the wall. Tape only the top leaving the bottom free. Make sure they’re straight.

8. Beginning with the first words of the text, slip a single sheet of graphite paper between the tracing and the wall.  Graphite paper, also available at Michael’s or A.C. Moore’s, is a transfer paper similar to the old carbon paper we used to know when we used typewriters.  Pencil over each letter transferring them onto the wall.  It’s actually not necessary to press hard.  If you do, the letters will be very dark and difficult to cover with paint later. 

9. Remove both the paper and the graphite paper when all of the text has been transferred. Now using a very small angle brush and acrylic paint, fill in each letter. I have found it easier if I add just a drop or two of water to the paint I squirt onto my paper plate palette. Don’t add too much, though or it will drip.

10.     The last step is optional but you may wish to add a flourish, design or decoration to accompany your quote.  My quote read as follows …

 Again the forest is fragrant.

The soaring larks lift up aloft

With them the sky

That to our shoulders was heavy.

Rilke

Since the poem is about birds that usher in the spring I hung a small group of birds at the beginning of the quote and one at the end.  It is a whimsical finishing touch. 

A much simpler method is to purchase ready-made vinyl quotes.  There are, of course, a couple of trade-offs.  First, you are limited to the quotes that are available for purchase.  If you simply have a theme or topic in mind, surely you’ll be able to find something to suit your needs.  Beyond that you’ll be somewhat limited by size, font and color.  But here again, options are numerous.  With a bit of looking around you may even find something better than imagined. 

If you still don’t find anything, but don’t want to paint your own, there is a website where custom vinyl lettering will be created for you in your specific quote, size, font and color.  It is, however, pricey.  If interested check it out at http://www.wallwritten.com/Custom.html. 

To give you some idea of what’s available I have chosen some of my favorites available at very reasonable prices from Amazon.com  Check them out to get your literary creative juices flowing!

The author of this article has a book out … so if you enjoy decorating you may also want to discover your unique colors, those hues vital in the creation of an environment that enriches your life with unimagined abundance and ever diminishing stress.  Read ColorFlow, Discover Your Perfect Colors, Experience Life’s Flow, by Patricia Kay Lebow (aka Iris Lebow) available for just $12.95 only at www.Amazon.com