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Apr 16 2014

ombre scallop wall { a tutorial }

Posted by hayley
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ombre scallop wall tutorial  |  greyhouseharbor.com

Inspired by the scales of a mermaid tail, I intended this to be an overlapping scallop design. However, if you look at it in the reverse it’s wave shapes also. Hey – two tutorials in one!

ombre scallop wall tutorial  |  greyhouseharbor.com

Start by drawing a large half-circle onto a piece of poster board. I traced a large serving tray to get the curve perfect.

ombre scallop wall tutorial  |  greyhouseharbor.com

Cut the semi-circle out and fold in half to make a crease. Use a pencil to mark the center of the crease at the top and the bottom.

ombre scallop wall tutorial  |  greyhouseharbor.com

Next, measure your wall and mark the center at the ceiling. Mine is 169 in wide, so the middle is 84.5 in.

ombre scallop wall tutorial  |  greyhouseharbor.com

You will be drawing on the wall a lot, so go light with the pencil.

Line up the center of the top of the stencil with the middle of your wall.

ombre scallop wall tutorial  |  greyhouseharbor.com

Make sure the top of your stencil is flush with the ceiling and lightly trace the curve.

ombre scallop wall tutorial  |  greyhouseharbor.com

Before you move the stencil, also mark a line where the bottom of your curve falls.

ombre scallop wall tutorial  |  greyhouseharbor.com

Move your stencil to the right. Align the stencil next to the scallop you just drew, flush with the ceiling, and repeat. Don’t forget to mark the bottom each time. (I drew very lightly so I’ve digitally enhanced my pencil lines for you)

ombre scallop wall tutorial  |  greyhouseharbor.com

When you get to the end of the wall, align the stencil like before and gently bend it into the corner. Trace the curve, stopping at the corner.

ombre scallop wall tutorial  |  greyhouseharbor.com

It helps to also mark the stencil where you bend it into a corner, so that you can align it consistently each time.

ombre scallop wall tutorial  |  greyhouseharbor.com

Go back to the middle of your wall, and trace the stencil the same way all the way to the left until you have one complete row of scallops across your ceiling.

Here’s where those bottom markings are crucial! To draw your next row, align the top corners of your stencil with the bottoms of your top row. Trace (and mark the bottoms!)

ombre scallop wall tutorial  |  greyhouseharbor.com

Continue this way until you have as many rows as desired… or the whole wall!

The easiest way to pick ombre colors is to grab a paint swatch from the store and order one from each block. Remember that a little paint goes a long way and a tester size (8oz) of each color should be more than enough. My ombre is a little different from a straight paint swatch because I incorporated both blue and aqua hues.

ombre scallop wall tutorial  |  greyhouseharbor.com

When you’re ready to start painting, begin with the lightest color. Take a tiny pointed brush and paint in the “points” first.

ombre scallop wall tutorial  |  greyhouseharbor.com

Then, use a larger 2″ brush to fill in the rest. I had to do 2 coats for each color.

ombre scallop wall tutorial  |  greyhouseharbor.com

Continue with the next darker shade, working your way up.

ombre scallop wall tutorial  |  greyhouseharbor.com

Funny thing about colors… even artists make mistakes sometimes. In an effort to not be too bold, I chose what I thought were muted versions of the colors I wanted. When I had painted this much of the wall, I realized these colors were way too muddy and bland for a happy 5-year-olds room.

ombre scallop wall tutorial  |  greyhouseharbor.com

My mistake was pretty obvious once I chose more cheerful, vibrant versions. What was I thinking?!

ombre scallop wall tutorial  |  greyhouseharbor.com

I went back and re-painted every.
single.
scallop.

Two coats.

« UGH »

While you’re painting, leave some space at the corner. Before adding the topmost color, tape off the ceiling and side walls. Use the caulk trick to get perfect tape lines.

ombre scallop wall tutorial  |  greyhouseharbor.com

ombre scallop wall tutorial  |  greyhouseharbor.com

ombre scallop wall tutorial  |  greyhouseharbor.com

Repainting almost the whole thing was a huge bummer, but I am SO glad I did. The end result is flawless. One big step closer to getting this room done!

ombre scallop wall tutorial  |  greyhouseharbor.com

ombre scallop wall tutorial  |  greyhouseharbor.com

ombre scallop wall tutorial  |  greyhouseharbor.com

 *** Paint colors are Sherwin Williams matched at Home Depot into tester sizes.
From top: Naval (SW 6510), Freshwater (SW 6774), Belize (SW 6945), Blue Bauble (SW 6948), Bouyant Blue (SW 6483)

Tags: diy, how to paint, paint techniques, songbirds room, tutorials

Comments (14)

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  1. Sarah
    January 10, 2016

    That’s awesome!! How long did you scallops take? (Not including the re-do) Thanks!

    Reply
    • hayley
      January 10, 2016

      Thanks Sarah! I would say they took the better part of a day to complete. Definitely could be done in a weekend if you don’t have the time to work on it all day.

      Reply
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  8. Katie
    January 23, 2020

    I love it. Doing this for my little boy! You didn’t tape the scallops in any way while painting them did you? Or did I miss something?

    Reply
    • hayley
      February 3, 2020

      Thanks! Nope, just penciled them in with the stencil and free-handed it. I’ve found that tape alone curved edges is just more trouble than it’s worth. Good luck!

      Reply
      • Katie
        March 26, 2020

        I figured as much. I’m almost done with ours and I’m so surprised I didn’t screw it up… I love it! Thank you!

        Reply
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I'm Hayley. Wife and mother by day, DIY enthusiast by night. Fueled by sweet tea and jelly beans, I own power tools and know how to use them. Consider yourself warned.

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