Looking to add style to your décor without a major purchase such as a new sofa or other furniture pieces? Turn a shabby or ordinary staircase into a piece of art with this colorful, easy pattern. Change the color (or add colored stains to create a softer look) to suit your décor, and stairways come to life with a designer’s flair. Forget boring carpet runners; create your own fresh and fun stairway with these easy steps!

Follow these easy steps to create a stairway with flair.

You will need:
• Latex paint in blue and yellow
• Polyurethane sealer
• 1 1/2" wide painter’s tape
• Paintbrushes (1" and 1/2")
• Paint roller
• Thin cardboard
• Photocopier or scanner & printer
• Craft knife, pencil, ruler, sandpaper, tack cloth

Before you begin:
• Use a photocopier to enlarge patterns for central design.
• Save time by measuring and marking all lines in advance.
• Let paint dry between coats.
• If needed, refinish treads and handrail of banister. Also apply a fresh coat of paint to risers, sides of staircase, and banister railings.

Step 1: Apply primer. Mark a line 5" in from each side of each stair. Apply painter's tape along outer edges of both markings. Apply primer between tape strips to create a faux carpet runner and a foundation on which to decorate.

Step 2: Mask off border lines. Mark and place tape 1" from outside tape on each side of stair. Mark and tape 1" from previous tape twice to get three 1" untaped sections.

Step 3: Make border design. Draw two lines between two inner tapes to divide depth of each tread into three sections. Do the same for each riser. Tape along bottom edges of lines. For border design, use craft knife to cut away top half of inner vertical tape line as shown.

Step 4: Apply yellow paint. Apply yellow paint between outermost tape lines. Apply a second coat of paint, if needed. Carefully remove all tape except strips along outer edges of border.

Step 5: Apply blue paint. Apply tape to inner edges of painted border. Use a roller and blue paint to cover center of runner. Remove all tape except strips along outer edges of border.

Step 6: Cover primer. Use 1" brush and blue paint to cover all areas showing white primer. To simplify process and protect yellow paint, mask long, straight, outer edges of border design with tape.

Step 7: Trace patterns. Trace enlarged patterns onto thin cardboard and cut out. Draw around pattern twice on tread as shown. Use second pattern to decorate landing as shown.

Step 8: Paint designs. Use a thin brush to paint designs as shown. Remove all remaining tape. To protect staircase, follow manufacturer's instructions to apply two or three coats of polyurethane. Sand lightly and remove all dust between coats.

Imagine…
For a more subtle effect, use colored stains instead of paint, so that the beauty of the wood can shine through.