DIY Murals Anyone Can Do: Cotton Candy Watercolor Wall
A Cotton Candy Watercolor Wall at the Pandr HQ in San Diego, CA.
Spring is officially here! I don’t know about you, but every spring without fail, I get the itch. Whether its a good spring clean, an audit of my garden, or a closet purge, I can’t help but want to move around and make space for fresh, new energy in my home. And, being a muralist, putting a new coat of paint on one (or a few) of my walls is a no brainer. I always say one of the best things about painting murals is that if you don’t like the outcome, or simply get tired of a color after a while, there is nothing stopping you from simply painting it over and changing up the vibe.
With this in mind, I’ve been feeling inspired by allll the spring colors lately: pastel hues of orange, pink, yellow, and lavender. If you, too, are feeling the itch to change things up this season, this Cotton Candy Watercolor DIY is for you! A perfect touch of subtle pastel, the Cotton Candy Watercolor wall brings a soft and airy feeling to any space - and the colors will guarantee to compliment your next glass of rosé. And the best part - you only need three colors to achieve this ethereal finish. Cheers!
Cotton Candy Watercolor Wall
SKILL LEVEL: Medium
TIME: 1-2 hours (not including drying time)
COLORS: Light pink, light blue, white
TOOLS: 1 drop cloth, 3 medium to large brushes, rags, 1 bucket (for holding water), step stool or ladder
MATERIALS: 1 roll painters tape, 1 quart each of: light pink, light blue, and white paint
PREPPING
Remove any furniture that may get in the way of your masterpiece, and lay down your drop cloth. Tape the edges of the wall, including the ceiling! In this mural, the water color effect fades from the top of the wall to the bottom, so you don’t need to tape off the bottom trim.
Pandr Tip: Where you do tape, use a credit card or gift card to rub the tape once applied - this will ensure it is fully secured to the wall and prevent leakage.
PAINTING
Using your brushes, alternate 2’-3’ long pink and blue blobs across the top of the wall near the ceiling. Occasionally, add in some swatches of white paint.
Before the paint starts to dry, dampen a rag and rub adjacent colors together in a circular motion (this doesn’t have to be perfect. In fact, it looks best if you’re a little haphazard with your rubbing patterns). As the colors blend with the white paint, you’ll start to create the watercolor look.
Continue this same technique until you’re about 1/3 of the way down your wall. Brush on big swatches of your color, and blend with the white paint and a damp rag. You’re going for a soft look, so try to blend wherever possible so there are no hard edges visible when you step back.
As you approach the 1/2 way point, begin to add more and more white. You want the cotton candy look to fade out and slowly disappear.
Continue to blend, add white, and take a step back. How does it look? Still too harsh? Add more white, and more water. And don’t be afraid to get messy!
Once you’re happy with your blending, peel of the tape before the paint really starts to dry. Clean up, and give it a solid 24-48 hours to dry before you push your furniture back into place.
Voila! Pour yourself a glass of that rosé and enjoy your Cotton Candy Watercolor wall in all its glory. :)
Pandr Tip: If your wall, like the one in the photos, is textured, you’ll need to push hard with your dampened rag so that you get the mixed paint into the holes and creases of the wall.
For more mural inspo and step-by-step instruction, check out our book: Wonder Walls: How to Transform Your Space with Colorful Geometrics, Graphic Lettering, and Other Fabulous Paint Techniques.