How to Make Wall Words from Vinyl

Wall art needn't be limited to posters and photos whose mountings leave holes in the walls. If you want a simple, changeable way to decorate your walls, consider using vinyl decals. Though commercial versions can be expensive, homemade versions cost just a few dollars. Making your own also gives you the freedom to create custom shapes and art for your home. These decals work very well in temporary housing like rental apartments and dorm rooms. You can also place them in children's rooms and change them as the children grow.

• 1

  Unroll your vinyl shelf paper onto a clean, flat surface with the paper backing facing up. This way, you won't have any chalk marks on your finished product. You can get shelf paper at your local grocery or dollar store.

• 2

  Place your stencil backwards onto the shelf paper. This ensures that your message will read correctly when you cut it out.

• 3

  Secure the edges of the stencil with masking tape. You don't want the stencil to shift and cause smudges on your work.

• 4

  Trace along the stencil slowly with chalk.

• 5

  Remove the tape and stencil from the shelf paper. Carefully cut along your chalk marks with sharp scissors, working slowly to avoid jagged divots in the edges of the shapes. Keep the lines as smooth as possible. Any mistakes will show up in the final project.

• 6

  Decide where to place your decal. Above beds, windows, desks and low shelving all work well. Peel the paper backing off of one piece of vinyl at a time and smooth it against the wall with your hands.