A ribbon effect is similar to stripes but not quite the same thing. When creating a ribbon effect on a wall you’re not just painting one or more stripes in different colors. The effect can be as subtle as a single ribbon around the room or along the wall or as complex and an entire wall full of fabric-like stripes. A ribbon effect offers the wall a rich, fabric-like look and to create it you need a few specific supplies.

What you need:

Such a project requires you to have a few things including painter’s tape, primer, colored paint with a satin finish, a ruler, a pencil, chalk line, a paint roller and a small paintbrush.

How you use the supplies:

First prep the room. Fill any cracks and holes, use sandpaper to smooth the surface and apply painter’s tape around the areas you don’t want painted.

Apply primer to the wall or walls and allow it to dry for at least a day. Choose what colors you want to use for your ribbon effect. Use a ruler to determine the width of the ribbons, make light pencil marks and then mark the outline with chalk. Apply painter’s tape along the chalk marks on the outside of the ribbon area.

Apply a base coat with a matte finish and then use satin-finish paint for the ribbons to get a texturized look. Remove the tape and use a small paintbrush to touch up any messy areas.

What you get:

The ribbons, having that fabric-like look, give the room a warm look so the effect is perfect for areas such as the bedroom. To highlight this effect, use warm colors.

Paint ribbons featuring different widths and different colors for a simple but chic look

The color you choose for the ribbon effect doesn’t have to be bold to stand out. Even white or neutral shades can get you the desired look.

The stripes or ribbons can be as wide as you want as well as both vertical and horizontal. The satin finish and the color will allow them to stand out no matter what.

When you decide to paint several different ribbons on one wall, using a lot of different colors, you need to wait for each color to dry and to carefully assess the dimensions when applying painter’s tape.

You can paint thin ribbons to delimit the larger stripes on a wall

Paint horizontal ribbons if you want the room to feel wider and more spacious and vertical ones if you want the ceiling to seem higher.