The Stencil Project Progress
August 22nd, 2007 by ariana
I downloaded the pink image from istockphoto which cost 3 credits (about $3.40?) which was perfect because that’s how much I had in my account balance from people who have downloaded the two photographs I ‘ve had up there for a year or so. Yes, they are quite popular.
Then I got out my stencil blank (made by plaid, the same manufacturer as the stencil cutter I bought) and traced the design. I noticed that there were certain areas that were much too intricate for a stencil so I sort of freehanded altering those a bit.
And then the cutting began…
Half way through it looked like this:
That’s the stencil tool on the right. You may notice that this design is super intricate. Yes, well I noticed too and I’ve since realized that there’s a reason most stencils are like a couple of shapes spaced really far apart…stencils like the one I tried to do are way too complicated!
I did manage to get through the cutting part. It was the painting part where the complexity problem reared its ugly head.
What happens is that without enough support, the stencil doesn’t lay flat against the wall and the paint kind of gooped up in those areas so when I removed the stencil there were blobs of paint in much of the design. I grabbed a paper towel and layed it flat over the whole thing to absorb the excess paint. That seemed to actually work ok, but still I think I’ll try a less intricate design!
And here it is on the wall:
In my next attempt, I think I will try the large flock shape from this design:
One other thing that I should mention in case you see stenciling in your future is that the sheen level of the wall paint beneath the stencil makes a huge difference.
The blue color in my wall sample is from a sample pot of Benjamin Moore aura paint which is a scrubbable flat finish. The paint adhered fine to that. But I did try it on a spot that has the existing paint there that has a higher sheen level (probably eggshell) and the paint seemed to almost slide off of it and look really sketchy. Something to keep in mind if you do want to try this at home!
:)
You are a better woman than I.
Or just crazier ;)
This is an excellent tutorial! I keep haunting the rows of stencils at Hobby Lobby praying that they’ll miraculously have a good one. I cant talk myself into little dinky roses or planes.
and braver.
Dude. I just bought a pink mohair couch. My fiance is going to bust a cap in my…
I was listening to gangsta rap earlier. What I mean to say is, the Fiance is going to be in hysterics.
Wait, WHAT? Pink Mohair Couch? Where are the pics? Oh, my husband would KILL Me! So clearly, you ARE the braver woman ;)
sadly, i have nowhere near the patience that is required for a project of this magnitude. i love the look of it, but i could never do it. in fact, i’m not even sure i could hang the pre-cut decals on the wall if i get up the courage to buy them.
I bought sparrow stencils at Urban Outfitters last year and haven’t used them yet…maybe I’ll drag them out this weekend. Hmmmmm.
Wow, I am most impressed!
When using a more intricate stencil, I have had good luck using a light touch with a spray adhesive to keep the stencil in place. I am sure the project will look great when you are done. You sure do have a lot of patience!
I love what you did. Nice job, even with the intricacies! I am very impressed with your cutting because I had issues doing just the simplest design. The silver on blue is a great combination.
I stenciled my dining room with a similar looking design (though I wasn’t brave enough to make the stencil myself!). I had a simialr issue counteracting the floppyness, but it looks like you’re using too much paint on the brush. Your stencil brush should be almost dry–I ended up using several flat-headed sponge stencil brushes and rather than the traditional tapping method, I swirled the brush. Also, I used a coat of repositionable spray adhesive on the back and a firm hand with the brush.
Just wanted to say I just did something incredibly similar in my bedroom. I also became quickly frustrated with the paint. I picked up a can of kilz spray paint I had just bought for another project and gave it a try instead. It has worked BEAUTIFULLY. It also goes about 4 times faster!