Use A Potato To Hack A Gorgeous Paint Design

If it's time to give your home's interior a new look, you might be trying to decide whether to go with a fresh coat of paint or some pretty print wallpaper. You also may be torn between having it done professionally or doing it yourself. Of course, the less expensive option is to handle the project on your own. This is true no matter if you choose wallpaper or paint. 

What if you want something custom, though, like a faux block-print wallpaper look? If you can't see yourself painting custom patterns and designs over an entire room and you don't feel like fooling with the mistake-laden process of hanging wallpaper, you might be tempted to just call the professionals. You don't have to, though. There is a way to create the faux block-print wallpaper look, complete with beautiful, custom designs, using a potato to stamp. For this hack, all you need is paint, a small paintbrush, a potato, a pottery carving tool, and measuring tape — that's it.

This project is so simple, and the results are stunning. This idea works for any room in your home, and there are so many different ways you can customize it. Using this painting method, you can give your walls a makeover that's unique as well as personalized to your tastes.

To get started with this super simple painting hack, you need to have a wall that has been primed and painted with a base color of your choice.  Now, use your tape measure and a pencil to find and mark where you want your designs to be on your wall. Then, get an uncooked baking potato (a sweet potato will work, as well) and cut it in half. Carve the design you want into it using a pottery carving tool. Since you will be using the potato to stamp the design onto the wall, you will want to carve the excess potato away from the design so that your stamp sticks out. 

Now use your small paintbrush to apply paint to your potato stamp. Then, press your stamp against the wall over your pencil markings. It's a good idea to use a small amount of paint on your first pressing to help you gauge the amount of paint you will need for each one.

This is an easy, straightforward way to create faux block-print wallpaper, but there are some things to consider before you start. Researching what colors complement each other for decorating is a good idea as you want your stamp color to complement your wall color. Taking time to think about the pattern you want is also important. Patterns can be calming or stimulating and can be a focal point or an accent.

Now that you have the basics of potato painting down, it's time to get creative. There are endless ways to customize your walls using this hack beyond just using complementary colors. You can use multiple colors on a single stamp, for example. Using two shades of the same color would create a shadow-like effect for your designs. You could even get funky for a kids' bedroom and create a tie-dye look by using multiple neon colors for a single stamp. To execute this idea, you will want to rinse and wipe the potato clean after a few presses to make sure the colors don't blend into a color that you don't want.

Instead of cutting the potato stamp to be flat on the top, another way to customize this project is to leave it with an uneven surface. When you apply paint and press it onto the wall, your design will have a textured element to it. You can also add some extra texture to your walls by putting a little sand in your paint before applying it to the potato.

It's also possible to contain your design pattern within vertical lines, as you see done with many high-end block-print wallpapers. To achieve this look, use painter's tape to block off vertical strips that run floor to ceiling. Then, paint between the strips and remove the tape. Finally, apply your potato designs between each vertical line, and voilà!