How To Paint A Nursery Mountain Mural In 7 Easy Steps

Are you looking for tips on how to paint a DIY nursery mountain mural for your baby? Check out this design which you can recreate in 7 easy steps!

If you have been scrolling Pinterest for ideas to make your baby’s nursery special then you will love this DIY Nursery Mountain Mural tutorial.

This nursery mural project is perfect if you want to makeover a nursery, or playroom, or add an accent wall.

It does not require any skills other than painting. The lines you create using the blue tape will help you with the “artist” part.

So if you are thinking that you are not an artist and can’t draw TRUST ME you can do this project!

This is a fun and easy DIY project that you can complete in a weekend.

This post is all about how to paint a DIY Nursery Mountain Mural in 7 easy steps.

nursery mountain mural with white crib — IDS Momma’s House project

How to paint a nursery mountain mural in 7 easy steps

Here is how to create a nursery mountain mural in 7 easy steps:

Tape The Mountain Design
Go Over The Tape With a Damp Cloth
Paint Foreground Mountains
Pull Off Tape and Fill In Gaps
Paint Second Color (Medium)
Paint Third Color (Lightest Shade)
Add The Snow Caps

Jump to more details.

Nursery Mountain Mural Supply List

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I used leftover grey paint from other room projects but as long as you have three complementary colors you’re good to go. If you want a more colorful mural you can use tints or shades of blue, sage, or even pink.

Be creative and follow your intuition. There’s ALWAYS more than one way to paint a mural and the best ones are a combination of ideas.

Here’s what I used:

DIY Nursery Wall Paint Colors

nursery mountain mural paint colors — Classic Gray is a pretty greige color with less yellow than the swatch.

Wall Paint (3 colors):
- Dark gray: Benjamin Moore Silver Gray 2131-60 (eggshell finish)
- Med gray: Benjamin Moore Classic Gray OC-23 (eggshell finish)
- Light gray: Benjamin Moore Horizon OC-53 (eggshell finish)
- Metallic Silver: (for the mountain peaks)
Good Quality Painter’s Tape – I have had great results using this brand
Damp Washcloth – Any washcloth that you have in your home is fine!
Paintbrush & Rollers:
- Paint Roller love this brand for doing the large mountains
- Any of these small foam rollers and a tray for smaller mountains
- Paintbrush (my favorite brand)
- A fine paintbrush like this for any touch-ups needed

Roller Cover

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Small Roller

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Foam Roller

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ProTip: Wrap your new roller with blue tape to remove any loose lint before your first use.

I’ve been obsessed with Purdy rollers and brushes for quite some time. This is one place you should not skimp when painting. They’re super durable and of awesome quality.

A few painting tricks I learned from the pros are:

Wrap the roller in plastic wrap or a plastic bag and it’ll be ready for the next time you paint. I used to either wash the roller or throw it out after each use. This tip will save you time and money.
The pro painters throw the used roller into the 5 gallon paint bucket to save it for the next day. They take it off the roller frame and then let it float in the paint bucket. I usually do the plastic bag method over this because it’s a little neater.

2-1/2″ Brush

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3″ Brush

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Thin Brush Set

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When it comes to the brushes get both a 2 1/4″ and 3″ so that you are covered no matter the area you are painting. For tighter areas with more grooves the 2 1/2″ is better but for large surface areas the 3″ is perfect.

The small brushes are awesome for touch-ups and detailed areas.

Nursery Budget Worksheet

Your nursery budget will start to add up quickly. This DIY mural is a great way to make an impact while sticking to a budget.

To help you stay on track I created this Nursery budget worksheet. Mix high and low furniture and decor if you plan to have multiple kids. This way you know it’ll last.

If this is a one-and-done type situation then Target, Wayfair, and Walmart have fabulous affordable nursery decor. Find a high-end design you love and then substitute the pieces to work within your budget.

DIY Nursery Mountain Mural Tutorial

Step 1: Tape The Mountain Design

For the mountains mural design I created, I used three shades of gray. Each shade was used in two sections of the mural.

I didn’t tape out the cloud shape because it had curved lines so I free-form drew that.

At the bottom of the mountains where two meet, you need to trim the tape so you don’t have overlapping pieces that go down to the floor.

Use scissors to get a precise line with your tape.

You’ll want to use quality painter’s tape such as 3M scotch blue painter’s tape. If not you’ll be sorry when you remove the tape because it may damage your paint job.

Step 2: Go Over The Tape With a Damp Cloth

One trick I learned to ensure that the tape gives the crispest line possible, is to go over it with a damp cloth. The wetness activates an element in the tape glue.

I went over all the tape with a damp cloth before painting because I wanted my lines to be super crisp.

The other option is to edge the tape with the ground paint color (in this case white). This creates a seal so if the paint bleeds underneath the tape it will be the ground color, not the contrast mountain color. This creates crisp lines when you remove the tape.

Be sure to let this dry before applying the mountain color.

Step 3: Paint Foreground Mountains

For this design paint the front mountains in the darkest gray color. Apply two coats of paint, about an hour apart, and let dry.

Step 4: Pull Off Tape and Fill In Gaps

After about an hour of dry time, you can pull off the tape at an angle.

Removing the tape when it’s partially dry (not fully cured) is best. This will protect your job and create crisp lines.

Fill in any gaps after the tape is removed if needed.

Step 5: Paint Second Color (Medium)

Next, do the second paint color and follow the same process. I waited several hours (4-6) to let the first color dry before starting the second color.

For crisp lines apply tape along the edge of the dark gray (foreground mountain mural color). As long as the paint is dry and you use delicate painter’s tape you should not damage the dark mountains.