DIY Mural Supply List — Everything You Need to Paint a Mural in 2024

You don’t need much besides a brush and a can of paint to install a mural. However, as you continue to develop and grow as a muralist, you don’t want to sacrifice the quality of your mural by not having some high-quality supplies in your tool kit! Since we started our business in 2015, we’ve tried variations of every mural supply out there. From our tried and true brushes to our favorite tapes for different surfaces, we’ve compiled our personal favorite supplies — things we use on every project — to help you get started on your mural journey.

Investing in a few of these hero supplies will go a long way in making your mural process faster, easier, and more fun. Take a gander below, and let us know in the comments what supplies YOU have in your tool kit (and if we need them, too)!

WONDER WALLS

We spent 3 years of our lives putting all the info we have on supplies, installation, tricky surfaces, and project ideas into one book. If you need some inspiration we have 26 different step-by-step projects teaching you how to paint a mural.

TOP PROJECTOR

This is the projector we use for large scale projecting. It takes a little while to get the hang of it, but once you do it’s pretty easy! You can plug into your computer via an HDMI and adjust the artwork in Photoshop until it’s perfectly placed on the wall. While this is not the best projector for traveling (easier one below), it does work great in low light (which means it doesn’t have to be completely dark to see).  

MIDRANGE PROJECTOR

If you’ve been muraling for a while, but you’re still on a budget - this is the projector for you. It will last you a long time and get the job done (but note that it doesn’t project as large scale). This is a great option if you’re working on small to medium sized walls.

SCAFFOLDING

We purchased scaffolding within the last year and it was one of those moments that made us think “wow we should have invested in this years ago!” Scaffolding is an absolute game changer. This is a 6 foot scaffold perfect for any mural. Instead of climbing up and down a ladder all day, take a seat with all your paints. It’s very easy to put together, even by yourself. You can even use it to wheel your supplies to and from the job site. If you need to get up higher, you can buy two and stack them on top of each other.

BIGGIE LADDER

Ain’t nobody got time to fall off a sketchy ladder. That’s why we ALWAYS work on this a-frame ladder. Two sides on the ground gives you a lot more stability. This one extends up to 22ft, but can fit in both of our sedans (so you know its compact). You won’t regret this purchase!

MEDIUM LADDER

If you don’t need to get up super high, this is the ladder for you. Again, these legs extend so it can be made taller or shorter depending on the wall. It maxes out at 13ft so it works for most regular walls. Super transportable and not too heavy!

STEP STOOL

If you only need a few extra feet, this step stool will get you there.

COLLAPSABLE FOLDING CART

No more taking a million trips to and from the car to get all your paint and supplies to the job site. Make your life easier by getting a pull cart. Your back will be thankful!

PAINT BRUSHES

Brushes with wooden handles make for a very happy PANDR team. This Pro Grade paint brush set comes with a variety of sizes, is easy on the wallet, and is our personal favorite to work with.

TAPE

There is nothing more satisfying than pulling tape to reveal a clean line of paint. This Frogtape is great for details, straight lines, and covering up trim, door handles, and outlets. 

TOUGH SURFACE TAPE

When working on surfaces like raw brick, cement, stucco and cinder block, regular tape isn’t going to cut it. This heavy duty tape works on any tough surface.

DROP CLOTH

Protecting what doesn’t want paint is half the battle when prepping a workspace. We like using canvas drop clothes because they’re reusable, easy to transport, and soak up *every* spill.

PLASTIC DROP CLOTHS

Plastic drop cloths are great for out of town jobs, or if you have limited storage space. Plus, easy clean up! 

PAINT ROLLER

When we have a large space to fill with color, rollers are our go-to. For most standard or large walls, nine inch rollers work perfectly. This pack comes with two rollers plus the handle. Sweet deal.

PAINT ROLLER TRAY

When you’re working with rollers, these trays are a non-negotiable. Make sure you have a paint tray for every color you want to roll!

REUSABLE PAINT ROLLER TRAY

This is a great option if you want to reuse your trays. Just wait for your paint to dry and you peel the extra right out!

PAINT ROLLER EXTENDER

This guy will screw onto the bottom of your roller to give you an extra three feet if you need it! Definitely comes in handy with tall walls.

PAINT ROLLER EXTENDER: HEAVY DUTY EDITION

Working on a really large surface? Screw this extender onto the bottom of your roller for an extra four - eight feet of reach! This guy has saved us hours on big murals. 

PAINT CUPS

We love these for muraling. We recommend using these paint cups while you’re working on a ladder instead of trying to balance a paint can (BAD IDEA). There are also great to have on hand if you need to mix colors.

WATER BUCKET

So basic - but so necessary! Water buckets are must haves for muraling. Fill yours with a few inches of water and throw your brushes in as they get dirty and you no longer need them. This simple step will save you a lot of money in replacing those brushes that are covered in dried paint.

CLEANING CLOTHS

Rags are great for wiping off chalk, and cleaning paint. You want to use these cloths, as opposed to paper towels, to avoid the annoying fiber filaments that paper towels usually leave behind!

TAPE MEASURE

In order to make sure your design on the wall is the right size and scale, you’ve got to measure. This guy measures up to 25ft!

RUBBER MALLET

We made the mistake of not hammering down our paint can lids and spilling gallons of paint in our cars so you don’t have to! We cannot stress enough that paint can lids need to be hammered down before traveling in your car. This guy will become your new best friend. 

FLEXIBLE CLAMP PHONE HOLDER

We love taking time lapse videos of our murals. Clients love to see it and it makes great social media content. This is the phone holder that we use on the job site. We’ve used everything from tree branches, street signs, chairs, tables, etc. to hold our phone and get that sweet sweet content!

WHITE CHALK

Chalk is our preferred method for getting our design on the wall. If you’re working on a non-white surface, make sure to have chalk on hand at all times! And it goes quick, so make sure you load up!

SIDEWALK CHALK

If you are working on a light colored surface, like a white wall or cinderblock, you want to use colorful chalk so you can actually see it! We make sure to have colored and white chalk on every job site!

MAHL STICK

Nope, that’s not a magic wand! It’s called a mahl stick. This is a tool that is very popular in the sign painting world to have something to lean your painting hand on, without touching the wall. If you are painting lots of lettering or anything detail, we recommend having one of these babies in your tool kit!

PAINT TOOL KIT

Keep organized with all your essential mural supplies all in one place! These are our favorite boxes that go with us on all our mural jobs. Bonus, you can also use it as a seat when you are painting low areas or as a step stool for a little extra height!

BLUNDSTONES

Having good footwear is essential for doing mural work. Sorry, but Vans and Converse are not gonna cut it when you’re on your feet for more than a few hours. You may have noticed that a lot of muralists wearing Blundstones. It’s because they are so comfortable for long periods of time. They are definitely worth the investment, and your feet will thank you in the long run!

DICKIES JUMPSUIT

If you want to wear a jumpsuit like Pandr, but you’re not ready to invest in a Big Bud Press jumpsuit, this is a great starter jumpsuit. It makes you look professional on the job and keep your normal clothes paintless!

wide brim hat

When you’re working on a ladder under the sun all day, protecting your eyes and skin is key. This wide brim hat has been with us to many painting jobs, and offers enough shade to cover our entire faces and then some. And don’t forget the SPF!

Secondary Tool Kit

Another tool kit/ step stool we love! Add more drawers for extra ~organization.

Strait-Line Chalk Liner

When I tell you that muralists need to use these chalk liners instead of trying to pull long tape lines… believe me. Chalk lines are the best for creating straight lines on all sorts of surfaces. Pro tip: buy different colored chalk for visibility against your background color paint!

Transfer paper

We love this transfer paper for tracing out logos or anything that needs to be precisely painted on a small, smooth surface area. Print out your design to scale and use this transfer paper underneath!

Portable Adjustable Stool

Great for adjusting to whatever height you need to paint - and easy to transport! This comes in handy more than you’d expect.