Using a cloth or cellulose sponge dampened with water and a little mild dishwashing liquid, wipe down the walls you'll be painting to remove dust and dirt. 

Rinse the walls with clean water to remove soap residue. 

Patch holes as needed. 

Scuff sand, then clean off dust. 

Place painter’s tape around the edges of the ceiling, windows, doors, floor trim, and any other woodwork or trim that is not being painted.

Decide on the size and direction of stripes you want to paint.

If you want the stripes to have the same width, measure the wall from the ceiling to the floor and divide by an odd number to determine the width you'll need to use. An odd number of stripes ensures the pattern starts and ends with the same color.

Choose your colors. You'll need one color for the base coat and any other coordinating colors you want to use to create the stripe pattern.

You can use your existing wall color as the base or start fresh with a new color.

If you apply a new color, let it dry for at least 4 hours or overnight for best results.

Measure and mark the lines for each stripe on the wall.

Use a level or straightedge to create the lines for your stripes. Make sure when taping off that you are taping on the outside of the line where you want to paint.

Apply tape to every other stripe and place it just outside the line so you cover it with paint.

For this project, we created a stripe pattern that repeats every 16 inches.

Apply color between the taped-off areas using the W technique (roll on a W pattern, and then fill it in without lifting the roller.) For better coverage, apply paint over the tape line.

Continue in sections until you are finished.

Remove tape while the paint is still tacky. Pull at a 45 degree angle away from the wall.

Allow paint to dry at least 4 hours.