Dragon Tales - Unique Painted Medieval Nursery Wall Mural

by Michael
(St. Louis, MO, USA)

This dragon nursery wall mural began with inspiration from several medieval art books. After choosing the artwork we wanted for the baby's room, we traced the design onto ordinary printer paper using a light table. We then used a basic art projector to enlarge the drawing to the size we wanted on the nursery wall.

Because the mural was so large, we projected the artwork in several sections. While each section was displayed on the wall, we traced the outlines with a black marker. This gave us a simple paint-by-number guide and made it much easier to complete the dragon without having to draw everything freehand.

The actual painting took several weeks. We kept the project affordable by using ordinary interior wall paint purchased in quart-sized containers from a discount store. We also limited the number of colors, which helped keep expenses down and gave the finished artwork a consistent medieval appearance.

Once the larger areas were painted, we used wide-tip paint markers from an art supply store to outline the dragon and add smaller decorative details. These finishing touches really brought the design to life.

To help protect the finished artwork and make the walls easier to clean, we applied a clear latex polycrylic coating. Anyone planning a similar project should choose products suitable for interior painted walls, test the finish first, and follow the manufacturer's instructions for ventilation and curing.

My mother-in-law also hand-painted the nursery curtains to coordinate with the dragon mural. These handmade window treatments added another personal touch and helped bring the entire dragon nursery theme together.

It's difficult to capture the entire room in a single photograph because the mural covers such a large area. The finished nursery was a labor of love, but the results made all those weeks of tracing, painting and detailing worthwhile.

Everything including making the Free Crochet Dragon Baby Mobile Pattern just took time.

If you're considering a similar theme for your baby's room, visit my dragon nursery decorating ideas for colors, furniture and medieval-inspired accessories. And if you'd like to make the walls the main attraction, my dragon wall murals page has ideas for hand-painted castle scenes, removable decals and wallpaper. You don't have to paint an entire medieval kingdom to give a nursery a little storybook magic!