DIY Accent Wall (Under 5 dollars!)

I started, and finished another new project!

As we get more comfortable in our home, I'm trying to start adding things that make it ours. Whether that's photos, pieces that represent or mean something to each of us, or in this case, something I made. 

I found inspiration while scrolling Instagram of course,

Aspen (@bohobitsofhome) has done this project twice in her own home, and her account is the first place I saw it. I immediately fell in love with how unique it was, and how it added such a cute bohemian pop to her spaces! As soon as I saw it I said the age-old phrase I say too often, "I could do that!". You might hear me say this phrase when I see a painting at Target, or an easy meal on Pinterest, or an outfit idea on Instagram. Although these ideas don't always work out, (tough love Cassandra, you sometimes can't do that) this one I actually could!

After I saw her picture and saw she used washi tape, I looked up washi tape wall ideas and electrical tape wall ideas (which I discovered are essentially the same thing). I saved a few that I liked and thought looked simple enough to recreate.

I love the simplicity and minimalism of this one!

I liked that this one gave a polka-dot effect in a different way!

My original muse!

After creating my inspiration board inside my mind, I got to work!

The first step was to figure out what I needed and get materials I didn't have. ALL YOU NEED FOR THIS PROJECT IS: scissors, something to mark spots on your wall, something to measure, and electrical tape! (you can also use washi tape or contact paper if you prefer) THAT'S IT! This is the easiest and cheapest project I found. For me, all I had to purchase was the electrical tape which was 2.94. THREE DOLLARS PEOPLE, and I made an entire room look different! 

I used my little 6ft tape measure, a Crayola super tips marker,
some scissors, and .007 in width electrical tape

Since the shapes are pretty close together you really don't need a long measuring tool, and you could honestly get by with using something with a straight edge and marking it where you wanted. The tape is pretty easy to cut and so forgiving. When I would make a mistake or one would turn out crooked, it peels off the wall so easy and doesn't take the paint off the wall. It then sticks on the wall just as good as it did the first time.

Disclaimer: This is NOT a project for perfectionists.

If things have to be perfect or "perfectly imperfect" drives you insane, this is probably not the project for you. This is a project where it is next to impossible to get it perfect, unless you bought wallpaper. There is no way to measure it perfectly, stick each piece on at the same exact angle. I love how it is perfectly imperfect and looks home-made, it makes it that much more unique and personal. If that doesn't sound like something you would like, you probably won't enjoy this project.

My pieces are all a little off-kilter and of various, similar sizes. I love the way it turned out. This was what I loved about Aspen's wall as well. That's why I decided on her design over the others.

Once I picked my design choice I got to work!

I wanted all the shapes to be about the same size so I started measuring the tape as I was cutting it. This was insanely hard. I would hold the tape beside the measure and try to cut it and it was just so hard. The tape would stick to me, to the scissors, to the measure. You had to cut the tape while it was pulled taut or it was really hard to cut. It was taking so long to cut pieces and I was getting frustrated. I finally realized I was being dumb for measuring each piece. If I had one piece measured, I could just cut other pieces the same size!

I measured a piece 3 inches, then I stuck it to the blinds above the window. I would stick another piece beside it and pull it to just past the same length and cut it. I discovered when you stretch it to cut it, it shrinks a small amount after being cut. I would fill the top of the blinds with tape and then begin placing them, so I could get more stuck on before having to cut again. Of course this isn't 100% accurate so if you're in to that sort of thing you may want to use a different method.

In all their almost-even glory

When I started measuring on the wall, it got tricky again. I was too lazy to go get a leveler somewhere, I had already started and didn't want to stop or spend unnecessary money. So I started by measuring from the ceiling down and spacing the vertical arrows as far as I wanted. I tried measuring from the bottom of the arrow to the top of the next one. After a few rows, I discovered this was not an accurate way to measure because each arrow was different and was never perfectly placed. I then started measuring from the center of the arrows to where the center of the next arrows should be. I suggest starting with this method of measuring because it was much easier and faster. Because of the mixed method of measurement, my rows are not completely straight, and that's okay with me! The electrical tape was forgiving and if one looked way off, I could remove it and stick it where it better fit.

I marked on the wall with the super tip marker and then stuck my tape around it as needed. I alternated between vertical arrows and horizontal arrows like Aspen did, just in a different way. It was easy to get a straight edge with the tape, I would just stick one and then the other over top creating a sharp point. When the tape was placed, I removed the mark with a wipe or a damp cloth and it wiped right off (This is probably depending on what paint you have on your walls, use whatever marking method works best for your paint, LOL.)

It took me two days to finish, I could have probably done it in one day but we had guests stay with us after I started and I didn't want to be in their room while they were here. I would say over all, once I got started and in a rhythm, it only took me a few hours in all to finish. I was lazy and didn't do it behind my shelf or behind the bed, I will eventually but for now left it since you can't see it anyway.

The Reveal:

Before:

After!

I absolutely love how it turned out, and wouldn't mind doing it on another wall. It was so simple and so super inexpensive! (Two of my favorite things!) 

I hope you enjoyed this DIY as much as I did! Be sure to let me know if you try your own electrical tape wall!