Learn how to paint a multicolored plaid — a cheerful buffalo check or madras-inspired pattern — using painter’s tape and acrylic paint. This tutorial explains each step for creating a colorful Easter egg door hanging with crisp lines and layered colors.
For Easter I wanted a bright door hanging and I love painting buffalo check plaid. I’d been curious if it was possible to paint plaid with four or five different colors to get a madras-like effect. The result opens up endless color combinations and makes a playful seasonal decoration.
Plaid — especially buffalo check or gingham — is one of my favorite patterns. After several attempts I settled on a straightforward process using painters tape to achieve precise, layered checks in multiple colors.
HOW TO PAINT a multicolored PLAID
I’ve painted buffalo check many times, so I gathered Frog Tape, chalk paint for a base, and acrylics for the color layers. Frog Tape’s paint-blocking adhesive gives the cleanest edges, which is why I recommend it for this project.
Here are a few other buffalo check projects for inspiration: DIY buffalo check sign, pumpkin buffalo check door hanging, and a heart-shaped pink buffalo check door hanging.
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HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE A DIY multicolored PLAID Easter Egg
- Wooden egg (craft store)
- Frog Tape or similar painter’s tape
- White chalk paint for the base
- Acrylic paints in four colors (I used yellow, green, blue and purple). For each color mix three shades: light, medium and dark
- Paint brushes, including a small detail brush for touch-ups
To create multicolored buffalo check, you only need painter’s tape, paint and brushes. The key is good tape and thin, controlled layers of paint to prevent bleeding. Frog Tape works well for crisp lines, and using chalk paint for the base helps the tape lift cleanly without peeling the surface paint.
MIX PAINT COLORS
Choose four main colors for the plaid — I used yellow, green, blue and purple. Pink also works nicely. Mix three shades of each color: light, medium and dark. Rather than buying all shades, buy the darker tone and add white to create the lighter versions. This keeps your palette consistent and allows for smooth layering.
BASE COLOR
Start by painting the wooden egg with white chalk paint as the base. Chalk paint provides good adhesion and reduces the risk of paint peeling when removing tape later. Allow the base to dry completely before taping.
TAPE OFF HORIZONTAL STRIPES
Begin at the top and apply horizontal strips of tape, pressing them down firmly to seal the edges. Use a piece of tape as a spacer between strips — faster and more consistent than measuring. For visual interest I placed the tape diagonally across the egg, but straight horizontal or vertical stripes work too.
PAINT HORIZONTAL STRIPES
Paint the horizontal stripes with your lightest shades, following a consistent color order. I used a rainbow-like progression: yellow, green, blue, then purple, and kept that order throughout the process. Avoid oversaturating the brush; apply two or more thin coats to reduce bleeding. Light coats give better control and cleaner lines.
REMOVE TAPE
Pull up the tape while the paint is still slightly tacky to help achieve sharp edges. Allow the painted surface to dry completely before continuing to the next steps.
TAPE OFF VERTICAL STRIPES
Place a spacer piece of tape flush against the side and begin applying vertical stripes, matching the same diagonal angle used earlier. Align intersections so painted lines form squares rather than diamonds. Careful alignment is important to maintain a classic buffalo check look.
PAINT VERTICAL STRIPES
Paint the vertical stripes with your medium shades, following the same color sequence: yellow, green, blue, then purple, working from right to left. Do not remove any tape at this point. Let the paint dry fully with the tape in place to ensure clean intersections for the next layer.
TAPE HORIZONTAL STRIPES.
Once the vertical stripes are dry, re-apply horizontal tape strips following the original diagonal angle. This creates the grid for the darkest check areas and allows you to paint the overlap squares cleanly.
PAINT THE CHECK
Using a thin amount of your darkest shade for each color, paint the exposed squares to create the check marks. Apply two thin coats for consistent coverage. Maintain the same left-to-right color sequence: yellow, green, blue, purple.
Remove the tape
Carefully peel off all the painter’s tape. If any paint bled, wait until the piece is fully dry and touch up small flaws with a fine detail brush and a steady hand. The result should be a crisp, multicolored buffalo check pattern on your Easter egg door hanging.
