Wall stencils are really easy to use and add a layer of detail to ordinary flat, square walls. I did most of mine with latex paint mixed in acrylic medium (buy it at the craft store by the artist’s paint) and I also did a little vignette with Venetian Plaster.
When I asked what color I should paint the master bedroom all I got for input was “Not the same color of yellow you used in the kitchen.” Ok, I can work around that ;0). What we ended up with a really warm yellow and fall colored leaves.
Tinted Venetian Plaster
I bought a gallon of Venetian plaster because apparently it doesn’t come in quarts locally, or even better would be sample sized jars like you buy at Home Depot when you can’t make up your mind about your color and just need them all….or maybe that’s just me. I tried mixing a bit of paint in with the plaster and it just turned it pink instead of red so I took my supplies down to the local paint store.
The guy at the counter was mystified to say the least about my request. First he informed me that I had already paid to have it tinted when I bought the Venetian Plaster. Yes, but I wanted 5 colors not 1. The spaghetti sauce jars were a little weird for him too because he could fit them in his shaker. So I held up my stir sticks that I brought along in my little box of supplies. His final warning was, “You know I could never repeat these colors.” All right, I will have more than enough for my goal. Which was this:
Latex Stencils
I used the Sycamore Spreading Branch stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils and had already drawn and taped my arch on the wall, painted th
e background with the help of some acrylic medium and a cheap waxing brush I picked up at Michaels. Lo and behold, Artist Loft not only had regular, but they have Iridescent as well. Too fun to leave on the shelf folks! Just mix a bit of paint with the acrylic medium and it gives you a little bit of open time while making the paint more transparent.
More paint = darker colors
More medium = lighter colors
You can layer them on top of each other until you get what you want. I used these two tubes on all the stencils in my house so far and there’s still enough left in them to do more.
The plaster I applied with a pallet knife, let it dry a bit then added some other colors over the top to give it even more dimension. After it dries, but before a week has passed you can take your pallet knife back over it and polish the high points, this is what gives it the traditional 2-toned appearance.
The stencils on the wall I just held up with painter’s tape, to get it to stay in place good enough for the plaster I sprayed the back with Stencil Adhesive. You can also use Krylon Easy Tack. It was warm so I took the stencils out back and sprayed them with a hose to clean them, the bathtub is also an option.
I also added stencils to my dining room and library using the same Budding Clematis stencil.
Did I miss anything obvious? Or are you ready to go pick something amazing and take on your walls? Hit the follow button for more inspiration for your next project!!
Girl with a Hand Plane 