Quick Painting Method for Freehand Stripes

A reader recently wrote me to ask for a quick method for painting stripes on her wall. She did not relish the idea of taping off all the stripes. So she wanted to do them freehand, but envisioned the wavy and uneven stripes she would produce. She wanted a more casual look, but not messy.

There is a way she can produce fairly even stripes easily. Simply wrap two pieces of 1 inch tape (masking or painters') around a standard foam paint roller. Be sure to wrap them tightly and measure to ensure the tape is evenly spaced. The stripes should be about 2.5 inches wide. Place one piece of tape on the open end of the roller and the other 2.5 from the first piece of tape. This will leave another 2.5 inch area on the closed end of the roller.