Tips for Painting...

I have recently been working on getting my nursery ready for our new addition - scheduled for next month. As always I wait until I am 8-9 months pregnant to get my nursery done. I did it with my first one and now here I am in the same boat with the second one. Believe me I am paying for it - my body hurts! Anyways I thought I would share with everyone some things I have learned last week as I attempted to paint a mural on my nursery wall...

Painting Tips:

1. 
   You don't need a gallon of brown paint when you are just painting a tree trunk.
2. Mr. Clean Eraser pads come in handy when you paint something you didn't want to (like a window seal or wood work).
3. Mr. Clean Eraser pads don't work if the paint is already dried.
4. Don't get frustrated when you can make a perfectly straight line on a heavy texture wall.
5. It doesn't have to be perfect (That's a big one for me, I'll repaint 100 times and I am still not happy).
6. When you open the paint - that's not always the color you get.
7. If you don't like the color - sleep on it, it's amazing how it can change magically over night when it has dried.
8. Paint usually dries a tad darker.
9. Experiment - you can always repaint (And I usually do)
10. Don't be afraid to try something new.
11. Painters tape doesn't always work.
12. If you have a steady hand just use an angle brush for painting around windows, woodwork, and ceilings.
13. No matter how small the project is, you should always use a drop cloth because accidents DO happen.
14. If you don't want fuzzies on your wall - don't buy the cheap rollers from Wal-Mart.
15. Don't paint over nails or screws - it takes a few seconds to pull them out and it looks so much better.

These are just a few things I have picked up by painting my nursery. I needed a way to separate the boy side from the girl side. I was so afraid to paint this tree mural over the window wall, and I am so glad I tried it because I love it! And yes I freehanded all of it - shocker I know, I didn't think it would turn out!

Oh and if you were wondering this isn't all I am doing to the walls, I am putting monkeys on the tree branches. That's why I left a lot of bare space. If I remember I will try and post a finished photo when it's all done.