Mural Planning Guide
Are you wondering: Where should I put my new wall decals? How do I arrange wall stickers to make a beautiful wall mural? How can I figure out which wall decals to choose, how many to order and if they will fit in my space? Do I have to paint before I put up wall decals?
We know it might feel daunting to plan how to use wall decals, but never fear…we’ve got your back! To give you a hand, we’ve put together this easy step-by-step guide to planning and using our wall stickers.
DOWNLOAD THIS GUIDE AS A PDF
PHASE 1: WALL MURAL PLANNING
FIRST: Wall Decals For Any Room
Decide where you want to use wall decals to create a beautiful wall. Which walls, which rooms, and so on. Are you looking to create a kids wall decal mural? Maybe wall decals for the baby nursery? Or are you planning a wall decal for adults space? Or both? Go ahead and pick one wall decal space and then move on to the next step.SECOND: Pick Your Wall Mural Planning Method
You can choose the DETAIL-ORIENTED METHOD or the FREE-SPIRIT METHOD. Or maybe you need the SOMEWHERE-IN-BETWEEN METHOD. Read on and decide what is best for you!DETAIL-ORIENTED WALL DECAL METHOD
Check out a sample of this method. You might want to use graph paper so you can draw to scale. Take measurements of the approximate width and height (in inches) of the area you want to use and draw it out using a scale that works (the side of each square might equal 3”, 6” or whatever works best). Write the dimension on the perimeter of the area. Make a separate sheet for each wall you want to use.
(If right about now your eyes are crossing and your heart is beating faster, may we suggest you skip down to the free-spirit method. You can always come back here after you catch your breath. ;)
Add in any furniture that you need to place your wall decals around. Sketch into the drawing the outline of each piece of furniture at the same scale that you used for the wall dimensions. As you draw out your room, consider the following questions:
❊ Will the wall decal mural area include the entire wall including where it meets the floor and/or ceiling? Or just a section of it? Be sure you know the width and height of the area you want to use.
❊ Will the wall stickers be arranged around some pieces of furniture (like a bed, crib, dresser, changing table, rocking chair, etc.)?
❊ Are there any changes to your room you want to make before you put the stickers up (moving furniture, a quick coat of paint, etc.)?
FREE SPIRIT METHOD
This is where you trust the process and throw caution to the wind. If you are feeling like you don’t need or want to do too much planning, then don’t. Many a free spirit just picks the wall stickers they like on our website and figures it out when the decals arrive. We strongly encourage such trust and adventure!
SOMEWHERE-IN-BETWEEN METHOD
You decide the balance and plan as much as you feel you need to, throw caution to the wind as much as you want to, and let your creativity run the show.
PHASE 2: WALL DECAL SELECTION
The fun part!
Visit our website and start to build your wall decal order. You might want to start a wall sticker wishlist to keep track of the stickers you like.
Remember this is for your enjoyment, so let yourself dream!
Since this is a particularly exciting part of the process, be sure to invite your kids, your spouse, and/or other interested friends and family to contribute to the wall decal shopping and decision-making. (Especially the kids, of course!) If you are using the Detail-Oriented Method, you can use the dimensions of each wall decal (included in the title and/or product description) to sketch them into your wall dimensions drawing.
PHASE 3: MURAL INSTALLATION
PAINT (OPTIONAL):
If you want to paint the walls prior to putting up your new wall decals, be sure to plan for at least 2 weeks for the paint to dry thoroughly before the stickers go up. If there is any moisture left in the paint when you apply, you may get into a situation of having to apply additional adhesive. We don’t want that to happen! That’s why planning ahead can be super helpful and why we made this guide.
CLEAN (REQUIRED):
If you don’t paint, make sure to clean the walls before applying the stickers. A simple wipe with a non-toxic cleaner or even just water and vinegar will do the trick (we are all about being environmentally-friendly). If you will move furniture to accommodate your wall mural design, remember to change things up before you wipe the walls. We also recommend you give it a good 24 hours after cleaning to dry thoroughly just to be safe.
APPLY YOUR WALL DECALS
Your order will include detailed installation instructions, and you can also find those in the FAQs or watch our installation video. We recommend that you tape up each wall sticker where you think you want it to go. Use masking tape on the backing material that the wall sticker will come on. (Don’t accidentally tape the wall sticker.)
If you do this, it’s easy to move them around and see what things will look like before you start the peel and stick process. You can also leave the wall decals taped up for a while if you aren’t completely sure of your final design. Maybe you need to sleep on it.
It can be helpful to have a second person to help you apply the wall decals, especially if you choose some of our large stickers.
And then...
LOVE YOUR WALL WALL DECALS!
After your wall stickers are up, you and your kids can have lots of fun interacting with them.
❊ Animal and plant wall decals can be a jumping off point for educational investigations and conversations.
❊ Realistic wall decals can inspire make-believe play and story-telling.
❊ Beautiful wall decals can be a friend on a quiet sick day at home.
❊ And much more.
We believe you will never regret your decision to put Walls of the Wild wall decals in your home. And that’s because we have more than 20 years of positive feedback from our customers saying just that!