Crafts for home decor: Paint Projects – stenciling tutorial

Here’s a quick tutorial for adding a stenciled design to a hutch. You can search for a similar piece, or use this project as a springboard for your own ideas for a piece you already have.

For this project, you’ll need semigloss paints, stencils, stencil adhesive, a stencil brush, and paper towels. Creative positioning of stencils is what makes this design one-of-a-kind. Notice how the cherry blossoms seem to grow right up the back of the hutch and over the doors.

1. Base-coat the hutch with semigloss paint and let it dry.

2. Spray a thin coat of stencil adhesive on the back of the stencil, as shown here, and position the stencil on the hutch.

 

3. Lightly dip a stencil brush into paint, dab off the excess on a paper towel, and brush in the open areas of the stencil using a pouncing motion. Work from the inside of the stencil toward the outside, making sure the stencil is stuck down tightly so the paint won’t bleed under. It’s best to apply the paint in two or three thin layers rather than one thicker one, but there’s no need to allow the paint to dry completely between coats.

 

4. Carefully remove the stencil and reposition it, or choose another of the stencils in the set, and continue stenciling until you have a grouping of motifs that you like. Remember, you can use a stencil upside down, backward, or any way that suits your design.