Wallpaper…Well, Not Really (the cheap kind!)

So, I figured it was about time to jump on the stencil bandwagon. Stenciling has made a comeback again…it’s far from the sponge painted, mauve and hunter green love from the ‘90s. Although everyone favored the ivy and floral stencils of their time, a fresh new approach was greatly needed.

Pinterest is full of fantastic ideas, but I got my inspiration from the series “Call the Midwife.” (Fab BBC series, Netflix friends, get on it!) There was vintage wallpaper in one of the homes with sparrows. I pondered for a bit about seeking out wallpaper, but then my budget quickly reminded me that painting could accomplish the same goal.

There are some really creative pre-cut stencils out on the market. I have found a few sites through other blogs, but I have not ordered any of my own. I started small here, but I am now addicted…I believe there is more to come!

However, for this time, in my thriftiness, I didn’t feel the need to pay for a pre-cut stencil. I had my image in mind and figured I’d venture out on my own.

Most craft stores carry blank stencil pages. I found mine at Michaels. The WWW helped me come up with a sparrow image that I then altered to my needs (simplified the lines a bit to make more stencil friendly). Print image, trace image, a little x-acto knife action and then I had my very own custom stencil.

Next was the planning and measuring. I needed a visual to get the feel of the final outcome. I like to measure easily too, so I keep things in whole feet whenever possible. In this case, I used 3ft – exactly the length of a yardstick (lazy? No, smart people!). Sorry, this explanation may drive some people batty, but this is the way my mind thinks:

My wall is 15ft x 7.5ft. I held up the stencil to the wall for perspective. I knew I wanted the top sparrow line roughly 1ft down from the ceiling. I also knew I wanted some distance from the ground (or baseboard) to the bottom row. I then eyed the wall to see if I wanted them closer together or farther apart. I came up with a plan in my head and then needed to transfer it to paper to formulate my math. I drew out my wall in grid form on paper just to see it all laid out (like literally just drew my own simple grid, not perfect). I found the centerline and measured out from there so the wall would be symmetrical.  (Or you can throw the measuring out the window and create a flock of birds wherever you would like!)

Next is transferring the measurements to the actual wall. I used “dots” on paper and did the same on the wall. A yardstick and a 4ft level along with a tape measure and pencil were my only tools. Once the wall was marked I simply needed to place my stencil in the same location for each dot (in this case I used the same corner of a wing to keep everything even).

Time to paint. I wanted white and I only had white ceiling paint (it worked perfectly, but any house paint will work for smaller projects like this). A little painter’s tape was all I used to hold the stencil in place while measuring. Mini foam rollers (purchased at any hardware store) are your stenciling friends. You need enough paint to cover the shape but you don’t want any excess. Practice in a closet or tape a scrap piece of paper to the wall to get the feeling first if you’re hesitant. I started low, behind the bed, for my first try.

BIG PAINTING TIP: After your first stencil is applied remove the stencil film and let it dry before moving to the next. A thin layer of paint builds up on the backside of the stencil after the first application. Once that layer dries it actually forms a nice barrier for future paintings.

Paint all your “dots” and then step back to admire your work. I took a detailing paintbrush and corrected a few areas where I got a little sloppy, but for the most part it was a very simple process. I actually accomplished this during naptime – for real peeps!

And on that “easy” note, I took the fun over to a friend’s house. She just had a baby and then major surgery. I offered to come and clean, do laundry or cook for her, but instead we painted two of her walls. (She’s a true designer at heart, who needs clean laundry when you can have pretty walls instead?)

I’m addicted now. There is more to come for sure. Any fantastic stenciling projects of your own you would like to share?

Share YOUR DIY projects with us – we’d love to see what you’re working on!  Post your pictures on Instagram and tag us (@twincitiesmomsblog) and use #TCMBDIY to show off your creativity!