So Many Stencils, So Little Time!
October 27, 2020
Want a DIY that’s foolproof but still looks seriously impressive? Stencils are for you! Easier than freehand, cheaper than wallpaper, and more exciting than a boring coat of paint, stencils are a fun way to update your room, furniture, and even create art for your home. We rounded up our favorite ways to use stencils on your walls, your furniture, and on canvas to customize your dream home.
Stencil Ideas for Gorgeous Accent Walls
The sky’s the limit when you add stencils to a wall — whether you want an accent, a repeating pattern, or a customized look that’s way less expensive than wallpaper (materials-plus-labor), stenciling is a fast and simple way to make a attention-getting statement. Whether you choose to buy a pre-made stencil or create your own, you don’t have to purchase anything costly to start stenciling. Make sure you begin with a clean wall or a fresh coat of paint. Interior Frugalista has plenty of fantastic tips for first-time stencilers, including how to line up your stencil properly – a critical prompt for the novice.
Whether you choose an intricate design or a more abstract, artsy pattern, you can truly personalize exactly how you want your wall to turn out with stencils. We love the idea of big, bold flowers for a girl’s room, swirling abstract feathers for a dining room, or even simple stripes for an office. The effect can be subtle or dramatic. Whatever design you choose, when you’re ready for a new look, all you need is a new can of paint!
And for the truly ambitious, let blogger Sherry at Young House Love show you how to stencil a bathroom floor for a tile-look for a FRACTION of the cost.
Add Zing to Your Furniture
If you’re not ready for an entire wall or bathroom floor, stenciling furniture can add a big impact for a smallish investment. Adding custom touches to furniture can make each piece feel bespoke and brand new in your home. It’s also a piece of cake to add stencils to thrifted or vintage furniture to make it feel modern. One trick we love with furniture stencils: Use a dry brush technique to avoid bleeding under the stencil. It takes some patience and practice, but dabbing the paint off of your brush and going slow makes for clean, crisp lines in the end!
You’ll find so many ways to add stencils to furniture. We love faux bone inlay patterns, which look expensive but are a fraction of the cost. Add a design to your dresser drawers for an instant update to your old set. We also love using our favorite furniture finds from Anthropologie or Crate and Barrel as inspo for revamping our more budget-friendly IKEA faves.
Stencils for Customized Canvas Art
Stencils are a work of art, so why not make them into an actual piece of artistic adornment by applying a stencil to your next canvas creation? Whether you’re making a farmhouse-inspired quotation sign or planning out a snow-day freezer paper DIY for the kids, there are no limits to what you can create.
The best thing about stenciling on canvas is that you can create a large work of art in your current color scheme without the accompanying high price tag. Or how about a family night making stenciled art with your children or significant other, creating treasured memories that you can also hang on your wall?!
Customize Your Home at Southshore
It’s easy to customize your brand new home in the master-planned community of Southshore. From paint colors to flooring, countertops, and fixtures, your brand new home will truly reflect your style, with ranch and two-story designs are priced between the $400s and the $700s. Take a tour of dozens of brand new homes from Richmond American Homes, Toll Brothers, and Taylor Morrison for a peek into Life at the Lake.