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Hand-Printed Galaxy Wall

Bathroom, Before/After, D.I.Y. Project, Home Decor, Statement Walls, Wall Art
By Laura Gummerman

Hand Printed Galaxy Wall abeautifulmess.com We are pretty excited about getting to the “finishing touches” phase of some of our studio rooms. We are so close to finishing our little downstairs bathroom, but we wanted to add a bit of visual texture to the walls. It can be so easy to overlook such a small (and comparatively boring) space in a house, but we wanted to add a special handmade touch to the room to make it as fun as the rest of the rooms. It took a bit of thinking to decide what sort of pattern to actually put on the wall, but we finally decided that star constellations would be just the ticket.

Hand Printed Galaxy Wall abeautifulmess.com Hand Printed Galaxy Wall abeautifulmess.comFirst, I made a few small star stamps out of craft foam and scraps of cardboard (I just glued them together with a simple all purpose glue and let it dry). I suggest using two layers of cardboard as the backing of stamps for extra strength. I also like to make several of the same stamp when creating a hand stamped piece. Especially when the stamps are so small, the image starts to lose its shape the more you use it, so I switch to a new stamp every so often to get the cleanest stamp possible.

Hand Printed Galaxy Wall abeautifulmess.com Hand Printed Galaxy Wall abeautifulmess.com Once I had my stamps completed, I printed out a chart with several constellation choices so I could keep a reference nearby as I painted my shapes. Since I’ve had quite a bit of practice painting over the years, I was able to freehand the lines, but you can also use your brush and a clear ruler to make your lines (the same way you would with a pencil) if you aren’t as confident in your line-making ability. If you use the ruler, just make sure to wipe the paint off the ruler after each line is painted. The color we chose was Olympic’s Silver Spoon, so the shade would be noticeable but still light enough to create a subtle pattern.

Hand Printed Galaxy Wall abeautifulmess.com Hand Printed Galaxy Wall abeautifulmess.com To make the process go as efficiently as possible, I worked in sections and painted the lines of each constellation first so the overall placement would be balanced and evenly spaced. Once the lines were painted, I went back and stamped all the stars by painting a little bit of paint directly onto the stamp, placing the stamp in the appropriate spot, and applying even pressure on all sides. I used a smaller and a bigger star stamp to create some variety.

Hand Printed Galaxy Wall abeautifulmess.com Hand Printed Galaxy Wall abeautifulmess.com Hand Printed Galaxy Wall abeautifulmess.com I think our galaxy print was just what our little bathroom needed to feel as special as our other rooms. The print turned out whimsical and fun, but not too overpowering for the small space. Some of the constellations are totally real, but a lot are made up, so I guess we should think twice before inviting any picky astronomy experts over to the house…xo. Laura

Credits // Author: Laura Gummerman, Photography by: Laura Gummerman & Sarah Rhodes. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess Actions.

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