How to change your wall color without painting your walls (perfect for renters)

Since we seem to be perpetually renting here in ATL until our house in Florida sells (which seems more and more like it’s never going to happen), I know a thing or two about renters rules. Some places are cool with tenants painting the walls and some aren’t. And if you happen to fall in the latter category, you typically don’t have many options when it comes to revamping those drab renters walls.

So, today I’ve partnered with Valspar to share how you can change your wall color without actually painting your walls. It’s a great renter-friendly option that you can take with you from place to place and you won’t have to paint over it when you move out. Win-win!

What is the magically renter-friendly option?! A (hand stretched) giant painted canvas. I’m taking you back to my college art school days for this one to show you how to stretch a large (5 ft) canvas by hand, that will act as a ‘wall’ of color you can take with you with every move. It’s not hard, I promise, and can make a big statement in an otherwise average space.

Before tackling the canvas DIY, let’s talk paint and materials…

Being that today is Earth Day and our planet is on top of mind at the moment, this is the perfect project to be sharing because it’s reusable again and again. AND Valspar’s complete line of Zero-VOC paint (which I used for this DIY) means no harmful chemicals impacting the indoor air quality when I’m painting, which is obviously pretty important to me and the rest of the P&S team. No strong paint fumes and no harmful chemicals. Each product has earned GREENGUARD Gold Certification, which means that it meets rigorous indoor clean air standards, while maintaining the highest standards for durability, performance, and color consistency. 

Here are the Zero-VOC paints and other materials I used to complete this project…

Materials:

• raw unstretched canvas (large enough to cover canvas and wrap around to the back – see step 2 in instructions for more info)
• four 64 inch stretcher bars (or whatever size you’d like to use for your canvas)
• manual staple gun (and staples)
• mallet
• scissors
• paint brush or roller
• interior paint*

*I used flat finish Valspar Reserve Zero-VOC paint (my fave because it’s paint and primer in one) in the following colors: Coral Reef 2004-4A // Dancing Mist 5005-7A // Iris Moon 4004-9C.

Instructions:

1. Start by connecting the stretcher bars to one another to form a square (or rectangle, depending on the stretcher bar lengths). You may need to use a rubber mallet to secure stubborn bars together, as shown in the photo. If you’re not familiar with how stretcher bars work, there is a notch on both ends of each bar that allows it to fit into the next. Super easy.

2. Next, lay your canvas down on the floor and place your assembled stretcher bars frame centered on top, making sure that the beveled edge side is facing down, touching the canvas.

Note about canvas size: Make sure your canvas is at least 3-4 inches larger than your finished stretcher bar frame on all sides. Example: My finished frame is 64 inches square and my raw canvas is 72 inches square, giving me 4 inches extra on each side.

3. Now, starting on any side, pull the excess canvas over the back of the stretcher bar and use the staple gun to place 2 staples an inch apart in the center.

4. Then on the side directly across from the side you just stapled, pull the canvas as tightly as possibly with your hands (you can use canvas pliers instead if you prefer), then staple 2 staples an inch apart in the center.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the remains two sides that have yet to be stapled.

6. Next, repeat step 3-5 for the remainder of the canvas working your way out from the middle to the sides and stop roughly two inches from each corner. Be sure to continue pulling the canvas as tightly as possible before stapling and switching back and forth with sides across from one another as you staple.

7. Once you’ve stapled all the way around the canvas, minus the last 2 inches on the corners, it’s time to make the corners look nice. Start by pulling the canvas at the corner to create a fold, as show in the photo, that comes out from the corner. Staple it down.

8. Then, pull the extra piece that’s still loose over the folded stapled piece, as shown in the photo, and staple down.

9. Repeat this process of steps 7-8 with the remaining 3 corners.

10. Then cut off excess canvas all the way around (if applicable -cutting excess is optional) and flip the canvas over.

11. Paint canvas and sides with a roller or paint brush (if you’re using paint and primer in one like I did you won’t need to to gesso / prime your canvas beforehand). Wait for the paint to dry. Apply a second coat if necessary. Wait for the paint to dry. And it’s ready to hang OR rest against a wall if it’s too large to hang.

Not sure you want a giant canvas? You can just as easily do this on a smaller scale and treat it almost like a piece of art, hung on the wall.

Step photographs by Amelia Tatnall 
Styled photos by Brittni Mehlhoff

What do you think of this idea? Have you ever stretched canvas before?

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This post is in partnership with Valspar. Thank you for supporting the brands that help keep Paper & Stitch running.