This little reading nook turned out so cute after adding this painted arch. These shelves are from ikea but I found almost identical ones from Target here. Both boys have bookshelves in their bedrooms and I love switching out their books with the seasons. Since I’ve taken these photos I’ve switched the books out for Halloween ones so I will share that post soon!

How to Paint an Arch

This was actually much easier than I thought it would be and the whole project was completed pretty quick. Check out a reel I made on Instagram here to see a little more of the process. While you’re there check out the highlight I saved as well for more details.

step 1: Gather your materials. I used a soft measuring tape (linked to amazon for only $2.99!) which had a hole on one end. You could also use a string and loop a hole on one of the ends to put a pencil through when drawing the arch. A level will be used for drawing the straight lines that come down from the arch. Finally, paint and a paint brush

step 2: Make your measurements. I started by determining how wide I wanted it. My shelves are 45″ across so I went with 48″ to have a little space on each side. I marked on the wall the left edge, midpoint and right edge. Now take the tape measure or string and you will use half of your overall distance so in my case it’s 24″. Holding the bottom of the tape at the midpoint on the wall and the top with your pencil through the hole held on the wall where you want the top of the arch to be. I took a couple screenshots from a video tutorial I shared on Instagram to give you a visual below.

step 3: draw the arch. The photos above give a good idea how this step works. You will run your pencil down to the right and left sides drawing the arch. Once you have that part completed use a level to draw the straight lines down to the baseboards. The photos are also a good reference for this step. You can see the lines I’ve already drawn on the wall.

step 4: paint! Now the fun part; painting it to the color of your choice. I used Sherwin Williams Evergreen Fog. There’s a shiplap accent on an adjacent wall in this same color so it tied together very nicely.

Shop the Post here:

This was really a fairly easy project to complete and I think the arch looked good even on it’s own without the bookshelves. If you are thinking about doing it I say just go for it! Good luck and have fun 🙂