Looking for clever painted wall ideas? This DIY ombre hexagon wall is a conversation starter. Here’s the step-by-step on how to paint your own.
Remember when I posted the room with the hexagon wall?
And everyone asked me all about clever painted wall ideas and how I created the wall and I explained that I used paint and FrogTape and then you told me you might need a little more explanation than that.
Today’s the day.
And it involves math.
All those years ago when your geometry teacher was trying to explain area and circumference and the Pythagorean Theorem, otherwise known as the fundamental relation between three sides of a right triangle, and you rolled your eyes and wondered when you would ever use any of this stuff.
Welcome to the wonderful world of math disguised as a hexagon wall.
Here’s the DIY where we figured it all out.
Painted Wall Ideas: DIY Ombre Hexagon Wall
1. Start with a blank wall
Here’s what ours looked like.
It’s painted one of my favorite white colors by Sherwin Williams called Alabaster.
Measure the height and width of the space.
Our wall is 8 feet tall by 9 1/2 feet wide to give you the scale for this project.
2. Determine the size of the hexagons
I’m going to go all math on you for a second. A hexagon is actually six equilateral triangles placed together like a pie. To determine the size of the hexagon we wanted to use, we cut out a hexagon out of craft paper to eyeball the approximate size and shape we wanted to use. It’s so important to do this before you get started. You don’t want to do all the measuring and dividing and taping before you have an idea of what your shape is going to look like.
When we did this, I also discovered that I liked a hexagon I liked the points of the hexagon pointing down with the flat parts on the sides. I also discovered that I wanted the hexagon to be a little longer than wider. I thought it looked a little more elegant and refined and skinnier.
Skinnier hexagons looked cuter.
I wish you could have seen the look on the face of my math formula creator when I explained this.
3. Multiply and divide
This was the most challenging part of the entire project.
We took the height and width of the wall and divided by eight (the approximate number of hexagons we wanted to have across the width of the wall).
Then we subtracted the width of the FrogTape (1.5 inches) from the hexagon and arrived at the size and shape for our pattern.
Our skinny hexagons measure 13″ wide and 15″ from tip to tip. Each of the sides of the hexagon measures 7.5″ (equal triangles remember).
We cut a template out of craft paper to these exact specifications to serve as a guide.
4. Begin taping
We started in the bottom right-hand corner and made pencil marks on the wall using our template.
To begin, we started going up the side of the wall with our template, alternating rows between whole hexagons and half hexagons. This was the wall that’s the most visible so we wanted to make sure it was as straight as possible.
It’s important to note that we gave ourselves a little wiggle room at the top. All walls are not created straight and we didn’t want to stress ourselves out trying to make sure the top was exactly even. If you notice on the completed wall, the pattern kind of fades away at the top. It made the project so much more forgiving.
When taping make sure you add a piece next to the wall to finish out your hexagons.
You will also want to tape off the floor moldings as well.
Here’s the finished wall with the hexagons taped in place.
We had to adjust a little because we realized the wall sloped slightly, but with an overall pattern like this, you can adjust a little here and there and it still looks relatively even.
Then I went over the wall with a roller just to make sure the tape was pressed down firmly to prevent any paint from seeping out.
5. Plan out your ombre paint colors
Here’s an overall look at the colors we used from lightest to darkest.
I knew I wanted the pattern to be random, but just between us, random takes a little planning.
So I painted a tiny swatch of paint on the wall to get an idea of the overall color scheme.
I started with the darkest color on the bottom and ombred it up from there.
The design worked when I added just a pop of orange here and there in an ombre pattern, too.
6. Paint
We started at the bottom and painted each hexagon the color of the swatch.
Some colors needed more coats than others, so plan ahead for extra drying time.
For example, the darker orange paint needed three coats to ensure complete coverage.
Here’s what the wall looked like with the paint with the tape still on.
You could still make color adjustments at this point if needed.
7. Peel off tape
Here’s the fun part.
I wish I had the soundtrack that came with this picture.
It went something like this.
“Ohhhhhhh.” (insert dancing) “Ahhhhhhh” (insert air hula hooping) and it finished with “SERIOUSLY.”
Here’s the final wall.
Can you see why air hula hooping is in order?
Let’s look at the before one more time to see where we started.
Before.
After.
This was a little challenging in the painted wall ideas department, but so worth it.
Now let’s dance. 🙂
PS If you have any questions or need math help, we have an unlimited question policy here at Thistlewood.
Just send over an e-mail. 🙂
This post was created in collaboration with FrogTape.
All opinions are my own.
Please see my disclosure page for more information.
Stunning! And patience is a virtue, my dear!!!:) Great job!
Definitely "air hula hoop" worthy!! : )
It looks fabulous, BUT there is NO way I would ever gather up the courage to go there!
Oh my goodness, that just gave me a headache! HA!! I am impressed!
This is so gorgeous!
You make it sound so fun! Even the math!! Well, I just love the wall but, really, math isn't the problem for me. Hula hooping after? That will only happen in my head--lol.
Love, love, love this so much! ;) Looks really great! Love grey and orange and hexagons, this wall combines it all for me XD Thank you so much for sharing!
Ooooh, wouldn't this pattern make a great fabric design? ;)
LOVE. I've been wanting to do a hexagon wall for over a year, but can't convince the Husband. Maybe your pictures will convince him?
Cheryl beat me to it... fabric pattern!!!! Just think of the pillows!
Well, alrighty.
Love the wall and the colors. Hated Geometry...would never do this. Toooooo much math..y head hurts.
Such a cool concept for a wall. I don't mind math...but I am a little shy on patience sometimes. Awesome project again! You're batting a 1000 for sure. Nancy
Absolutely LOVE this!!! I've loved loved loved math all my life (tutored and taught it for 25 years), and this is a stunning example of math in all its beautiful glory! You have knocked it out of the park!!!
Marvelous. As a former math teacher, I applaud you! Plus it looks great!!!!
Hi KariAnne, this is indeed an amazing project. I'm not sure I have the patience to do all this wall taping but I'm so impressed that you do. Aside from the finished accent wall itself, I think my favorite shot here is of all the open paint containers sitting in front of the wall waiting to be used. That's a fun perspective and really illustrates the heavy work ahead. Great pictures and tutorial. I can see this took a lot of planning and it turned out beautifully. Have a lovely weekend.
Oh my! If I decide I want a hexagon wall can I just hire you to come do it for me? LOL Or maybe I'll just come back and stare at yours will all the heart eyes. :)
I am seriously impressed by your precision!!!! Job well done! I don't have the stamina you do - I'd just hope I could sketch it out and hand it to my painter! ;-)
You are going to be so famous! My hubby just happens to teach in a small country school (k-12 in one building) and he just happens to teach math and he totally, by coincidence, taught the pathagarian therum today is going to put this post up on his smart board on Monday. That way his students who roll their eyes and say "when are we ever going to use this?" can see it in real life action. You are a rock star today! A math rock star. PS. The wall looks amazing!
no...ain't gonna happen. Seriously, you lost me at "six equilateral triangles." And I was always terrible at math, not algebra, calculus, trig, etc...math! My poor brain just shut down when I tried to imagine trying something like this. So, for now, I'll just enjoy looking at your amazing creation!
The wall turned out great! It sounds like you had help. I'm guessing it was your hubby who helped with the math? How do you get him to co-operate with your schemes? My hubby is usually reluctant (he's a busy guy) and he knows how to do EVERYTHING! Frustrating. We could be such a team! (I will own to having too many ideas.) Anyway, great job, KariAnne!
I absolutely love it! I love the hexagons. I love the colors. I love everything about it, except the math. :)
OH M GEEEEEE!!! Seriously, one of your cleverest ideas. It looks amazing. I wish I could stare at the photo a little longer, but I have to go take something for the headache all that math talk brought on..... :o).
This is absolutely brilliant! You have a gifted mind and amazing patience! This wall certainly creates the WOW factor indeed! Well done! I hope you have a great week! Smiles! Terry The Curator's Collection & Making Broken Beautiful
I'm sure glad I don't plan on doing a hexagonal wall...I sure love looking at yours though! LOL! You did an awesome job! I thought I had patience...I stand corrected! LOL!!!
love the wall I will have to admire yours though..when the math talk started, I just did a major eye roll and knew that did it for me :)
Too much math for me! It looks amazing. I especially like the hexagons fading toward the top versus an entire wall. Visiting from A Morning Cup of Joe party.
This is FABULOUS...but I don't think I can do all of that math! LOL. It makes me want to give it a try though. Definitely couldn't have asked for it to come out any better!
Umm, wow! This is amazing!! I love everything about this project!
That is seriously amazing, but my hatred of math is so strong that even my husband, and his degrees in engineering and math, couldn’t make me do a wall like that. I’ll just be content to admire yours.
This is fabulous! Such a smart idea.. Loved it! Thanks for sharing the idea. I have shared your post on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/happinessiscrafting/ My readers will love it :)