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In our House, we love finding new ways to get creative with paint; but this time, we’ve turned to the past for inspiration. Celebrated by the Arts and Crafts Movement, fashionable in the roaring twenties and big in the ‘70s - stencilling is back!
We joined up with Rag Arts to bring you this step by step guide so you can introduce this age-old craft to your home. Specialists in classical and contemporary paint finishes for residential, historic and commercial interiors - they know a thing or two about decorative arts!
Whether you want to create a bold border, frame your door or adorn a piece of furniture, follow this guide to become a stencilling pro in no time.
Materials
- Template (here)
- Pencil
- Rubber
- Ruler
- Carbon paper (can be bought at your local stationers)
- Stencil card (brown card which has been oiled this that can be bought at your local art store)
- Craft knife
- CuttTeming mat
- Low tack painter’s tape or spray mount/ repositionable spray glue
- Stencil brush or cellulose decorators sponge
Making your Stencil
- Print off your template.
- Place the carbon paper onto the stencil card. Put the template on top, securing with some low tack tape to hold it in place.
- Trace your leaf template before removing the tape and the carbon paper to reveal the transfer on your stencil card.
- Place the stencil card on the cutting mat, and holding the craft knife or stencil cutter like a pen, rest the heel of your hand on the cutting surface, and cut towards yourself. If you are cutting a long straight line you may cut away from yourself but use your ruler to help. You now have your stencil.
Preparation
Always make sure that the surface to be stencilled is clean and smooth.
Stencilling a Border
- Position your stencil and make a mark at the top and bottom. Use these marks and a long ruler to draw a line with chalk. This will be your guide.
- Use masking tape or a repositionable contact spray adhesive to attach the stencil to the wall.
Tip
When stencilling a continuous border around a room, start at the corner opposite the door and work out from there. When working on walls, you can position the stencil right under the ceiling molding, at picture rail height 2.2m (7ft4in), dado rail height 1.2m (4ft), above the skirting board, around the windows and doors or all over like wallpaper.
- Dip your brush or sponge into the paint and then wipe most of it off, on a piece of kitchen paper. (If you use too much paint you will find that it bleeds behind the stencil, giving the pattern very ragged edges - and we don’t want that!) Apply the paint using an up and down stippling motion, starting on the edge of the stencil and working your way in.
Et voila! Now step back and admire your work!
Notes
When using more than one colour, wait for the first to try before you apply the second and always use a clean brush or sponge.
*****
Keep your brushes and stencil very clean and use as little paint as possible. If you are not sure, wipe off a bit more, you can always add some if the colour is not right; stencils look better when the colour is built up in layers.
INSPIRATION
A Corner of Paradise
Be inspired with ideas for how to make our House your own.
In our House, we also can’t get enough of plants. From clusters of geraniums to giant leafy ferns, botanicals have the unique power to infuse a room with colour, vitality and life. But amidst all this, the loveliest addition might just be to carve out your own quiet little nook. A snug away from the main action where you can curl up in a comfy chair and hit pause, if only for a moment. In a room where absolutely everything and anything goes, this is truly where the magic happens.
INSPIRATION
A Corner of Paradise
Be inspired with ideas for how to make our House your own.
In our House, we also can’t get enough of plants. From clusters of geraniums to giant leafy ferns.
In our House, we also can’t get enough of plants. From clusters of geraniums to giant leafy ferns, botanicals have the unique power to infuse a room with colour, vitality and life. But amidst all this, the loveliest addition might just be to carve out your own quiet little nook.
In our House, we also can’t get enough of plants. From clusters of geraniums to giant leafy ferns.
In our House, we also can’t get enough of plants. From clusters of geraniums to giant leafy ferns, botanicals have the unique power to infuse a room with colour, vitality and life. But amidst all this, the loveliest addition might just be to carve out your own quiet little nook.
In our House, we also can’t get enough of plants. From clusters of geraniums to giant leafy ferns.
In our House, we also can’t get enough of plants. From clusters of geraniums to giant leafy ferns, botanicals have the unique power to infuse a room with colour, vitality and life. But amidst all this, the loveliest addition might just be to carve out your own quiet little nook.
In our House, we also can’t get enough of plants. From clusters of geraniums to giant leafy ferns.
In our House, we also can’t get enough of plants. From clusters of geraniums to giant leafy ferns, botanicals have the unique power to infuse a room with colour, vitality and life. But amidst all this, the loveliest addition might just be to carve out your own quiet little nook.
A mantelpiece, if you’re lucky enough to have one, is even more worthy.
The last few pieces of the puzzle are the myriad layers and textures that make a space so inviting. Think a coffee table stacked with books and tactile cushions in an intriguing mix of shapes, sizes and patterns – all things which are easy to move around until you find a combination that appeals to you. A mantelpiece, if you’re lucky enough to have one, is even more swoon-worthy with the addition of eye-catching candelabras, hand-painted porcelain candle pots and treasured keepsakes you’ll have picked up on your travels.
The last few pieces of the puzzle are the myriad layers and textures that make a space so inviting. Think a coffee table stacked with books and tactile cushions in an intriguing mix of shapes, sizes and patterns – all things which are easy to move around until you find a combination that appeals to you. A mantelpiece, if you’re lucky enough to have one, is even more swoon-worthy with the addition of eye-catching candelabras.
A mantelpiece, if you’re lucky enough to have one, is even more worthy.
The last few pieces of the puzzle are the myriad layers and textures that make a space so inviting. Think a coffee table stacked with books and tactile cushions in an intriguing mix of shapes, sizes and patterns – all things which are easy to move around until you find a combination that appeals to you. A mantelpiece, if you’re lucky enough to have one, is even more swoon-worthy with the addition of eye-catching candelabras.
“We will never stop fighting for this planet, for ourselves, our future and for the future of our children and grandchildren.”
- Greta Thunberg, Environmental Activist
If your existing seats are well-loved, but perhaps a little too well-worn, be it a sumptuous printed velvet or a smooth cotton-linen – can be enough to make you want to snuggle up on them all over again.
When it comes to furniture (which can also be a scene stealer in its own right), your choice will likely be dictated by the number of family members and friends who will regularly be hanging out here: will a cosy two-seater sofa be enough, or will you also need a chaise longue and a few ‘bottomans’ for your visitors to park their, um, bottoms on? If your existing seats are well-loved, but perhaps a little too well-worn, recovering them in a new fabric – be it a sumptuous printed velvet or a smooth cotton-linen – can be enough to make you want to snuggle up on them all over again.
A mantelpiece, if you’re lucky enough to have one, is even more worthy.
When it comes to furniture (which can also be a scene stealer in its own right), your choice will likely be dictated by the number of family members and friends who will regularly be hanging out here: will a cosy two-seater sofa be enough, or will you also need a chaise longue and a few ‘bottomans’ for your visitors to park their, um, bottoms on? If your existing seats are well-loved, but perhaps a little too well-worn, recovering them in a new fabric – be it a sumptuous printed velvet or a smooth cotton-linen – can be enough to make you want to snuggle up on them all over again.
