8 High-Impact Projects You Can Do with Just Paint and Tape

When you’re looking to change up your space, it’s hard to beat the transformative power of paint. It’s easy on the budget, and versatile enough to make a dramatic statement or solve a simple problem. And if you’ve ever painted a wall, you know how crucial good painter’s tape is to the process. But tape can do more than just make crisp edges! In combination with your favorite paint color, it can add seriously fun pattern or dimension to your projects. Check out eight smart ways to use the winning combo of paint and painter’s tape in the projects below. 

Elsie from A Beautiful Mess transformed a boring cement patio into a space full of personality. What looks like high-end encaustic tile is actually very affordable painted cement! After cleaning the area and applying a few coats of white paint, she used painter’s tape to create the geometric pattern. The end result is stunning—as is the final cost compared to what it could have been had they installed tile. 

Designer Anne Sage solved the problem of ugly stained ceiling tiles while designing a new office space for filmmakers Margaret & Corey. The secret? Giving them a wild checkerboard pattern that Margaret painstakingly painted on herself. This solution elevated the space simply by using paint and painter’s tape and didn’t cost an arm and a leg. (Though it did take plenty of elbow grease!)

Brittni from Paper & Stitch designed a very cute headboard using just painter’s tape and paint. This isn’t just a pretty, cost-saving solution—it saves lots of space, too. Best part: The headboard can easily be re-painted to match your evolving style. Live in an apartment and can’t paint the walls? Try this technique using peel-and-stick paintable wallpaper.

You may already be familiar with the work of muralist Racheal Jackson, the genius behind BanyanBridges—and if not, her Instagram is definitely worthy of a follow. She is constantly creating colorful murals all over home; this one in particular is from her newly designed bedroom. She has lots of tips and helpful information if you’re just getting started. Check out her “Clean Lines” stories to see how to paint the perfect, bleed-free line using painter’s tape. 

Painted stairs are nothing new, we love everything from rainbow to wild patterns, but sometimes you just want something simple. Nicole Balch from Making It Lovely painted the back stairway in her home, an area that had been dismissed by the previous owners, with a beautiful color palette showcasing a simple runner. See her tips for painting stairs here.

Desperate for decorative molding? You don’t need to get out a miter saw and a nail gun. Instead, take a cue from Charlotte of At Charlotte’s House, who gave her office a bold makeover using an amalgam of design elements including faux decorative molding. Just how did she do this? You guessed it: painter’s tape! 

If you want just a little pattern in your room, try painting a plaid or checkered accent wall. Sarah of Life on Virginia Street gave her wall a muted spin with beautiful neutral colors. There’s quite a bit of planning involved, but the end result is well worth it! 

Kellijean from Happy Modern Art makes designs that will delight, and might also hurt your brain if you try to think about it too much! To create this wall, she used paint and painter’s tape to create two different areas, then added the 3D design using just black tape. The colorful squares are made from canvas light panels.