HG Openhouse Blog

Are you looking for a fun, easy, super cheap decorating project to scratch that decorating itch during these cooped-up days of winter? I’ve got just the thing. (click on photos to enlarge)

Dust off that old stencil brush, grab a bottle of craft paint and buy or cut out a simple stencil. Oh, I can hear you now, “Cathy, stenciling went out in the 80’s !” Au contraire mon ami, stenciling never goes “out”. This beautiful art form has been a constant for thousands of years. To update its old application, from multi-colored floral swags and country borders of bygone years, to contemporary geometrics, simple florals, monograms or symbols, think simplicity, one color, one overlay, one all over design.

Small rooms are the perfect candidate for stenciling…bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, craft rooms or offices. When planning, measure off a motif uniformly, or be free- spirited and place them randomly on the wall. Even stenciling one wall can make an impact. With stenciling it’s very easy to “perfect the pounce”, and did I mention how inexpensive it is? You could paint and impact a room for under $10. ! Hello!

Here’s a few more stenciling ideas to wet your brush…

• Paint the room a “color” before you stencil.
• Try tone-on-tone combinations. Stencil your room one shade lighter or one shade darker than the wall color.
• Buy or cut out your own stencils out of acetate, Mylar, report covers, or manila folders.  (Google “how to cut a stencil”). Use a sharp exacto knife.
• Use a design motif from your room, or invent one that reflects the style.
• Measure off your wall with markings spaced, maybe 18” apart. Offset them by half, on each new row. Use clear cellophane wrap as a template.
• For an office, try a 3-4” stencil of an “at” symbol “@   @   @   @.
• For a laundry room, I cut and stenciled “double hangers” for a client. Simple, fun. (see photo)
• For a kitchen, maybe golden pears, mosaic squares, green herb sprigs, cupcakes, floral. Keep the design simple and use only one color. This says graphic, and modern.
• More motifs…starfish, shells, ferns, diamond, square within a square, leaves, triangle, dots, spirals, birds, X’s, asterisks, paisley, butterflies, dragonflies, rosettes etc. Remember, one color and silhouettes look fresh and updated. Check out some stenciling sites for ideas and stencils.
• Practice first before you go to the wall. You’ll pick it up quickly, it becomes addictive. You’ll be stenciling everything in sight (restrain yourself if you can).

Let us know if you’ve stenciled before and can pass along any tips. If you haven’t, watch out, you’ll go a little nuts. So, give it a try, it’s only paint and if you don’t like it or want to change it down the road, just paint right over it for a new look. I know you’ll love it and you’ll create a fresh new feel in the room for pennies.

Are you pouncing off the wall yet?