Hand Stamped Clementine Wall

Today I’m so excited to share an easy method for creating the look of wallpaper with paint. You already know we love statement walls. They’re such an easy way to completely change and customize a space, adding so much personality. So it was a pretty natural fit to team up with Home Depot and take on their motto: “Let’s Do This.” Since my kitchen is mostly neutral with a few pops of mint and turquoise, I knew it could handle a statement wall. Wow, I had no idea what I was missing before. It’s a completely different space now. The best part is, this whole project only took us one quick, easy (and super friendly!) trip to Home Depot and two afternoons of on-and-off painting (with a lot of dry time in between).

This was the first time we embraced a more imperfect treatment with our stamping to create a more effortless design. Each stamped clementine is stamped with only one impression… no filling in or cleaning up edges. Just stamp and go! I was inspired by this print by artist Jorey Hurley and the artwork of Anek (the Italian print we have hanging above is from her!), especially the colors overlapping in this plum print. I wanted to create something with a similar vibe for our wall.

For our colors, we chose Behr Ultra Interior paint in Orange Grove, Indian Paint Brush, Pumpkin Patch, Tart Apple, and Herbal Tea.

Supplies:
-3 shades of orange paint listed above (for the clementines)
-2 shades of green paint listed above (for the leaves)
-1-inch Wooster Pro paintbrush
-Werner step ladder
-craft foam
-cardboard
-glue

Cut out your clementine (imperfect 2-inch circles) and leaf shapes out of craft foam (use one for each color), and glue the craft foam onto cardboard squares to create your stamps.

Starting with your lightest orange shade, use the small paintbrush to brush a very thin layer of paint onto your stamp. Press your stamp firmly onto the wall and press down around the edges with your fingers. Continue to stamp the wall with your lightest shade until the wall is evenly covered. Remember, this layer is the first of your three clementine colors, so you only want to stamp a third of the total amount of clementines. Create a sporadic, but visually balanced pattern on the entire wall.

Once your first round of stamping is complete, move on to the next shade of orange and repeat the process. Do a combination of overlapping clementines, small clusters, and some that don’t overlap.

Continue to stamp your darkest orange color and then your green leaves (one color at a time, drying completely between each color).

Tips for stamping a large statement wall: Make sure to step back from the wall between each color to check that each shade is evenly balanced. If you are unsure of how many impressions to do, start out with fewer stamps. You can always add more later if the wall looks sparse or uneven. If you mess up, wipe it off with a wet paper towel and try again. Our “Let Do This.” bucket made a nice make-shift trashcan for the little mistakes we made along the way.

It’s important to know that this project will not look amazing until you are in the final stages. At first you will feel like you’re doing some sort of weird 1980s sponge art project. Don’t worry. It really takes shape after several layers of color!

For the edges, we made half circle stamps. This detail helps give it the look and feel of wallpaper, rather than stamping.

Here’s the finished wall. I could not be more happy with the look. From far away, it really looks like wallpaper and closer up it reminds me of a cute painting I would buy from Etsy!

I never really considered adding this much color or pattern to our kitchen, but I’m so happy I gave it a try. I love how it makes our kitchen feel a million times cozier!

What do you think? Do you have a wall in your home that needs this sort of vibe? What shapes would you choose? xo. Elsie

ps. Orange you glad we didn’t make a banana wall?

Credits // Author and Photography: Elsie Larson, Project Assistant: Laura Gummerman