12 DIY-Able Wall Stencils

K. Emily Bond — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:07:49 +0000

Wall stencils are all the rage right now, and why not? They’re 99.9% dummy proof.

If you’ve ever tried to DIY and failed miserably, applying a wall stencil is a sure fire way to give your crafty self an ego boost. Look at this woman, care of Cutting Edge Stencils.

That looks totally DIY-able, doesn’t it? From what I can tell, she:

1.) Purchased a set of stencils from people that actually know what they’re doing, i.e. Cutting Edge or Stencil 1. (To ensure success, splurge on the more expensive pre-cut ones. Otherwise you’re going to have to use an actual craft knife.)

2.) Applied a base color, patiently allowing it to dry overnight (FYI, impatience has felled every DIY project I’ve ever attempted.)

3.) Measured (like, with a ruler or tape measure, imagine that!) the wall to determine how many times the stencil should be repeated. Here’s another tip: don’t guess-timate. Try marking each spot with a pencil.

4.) Attached the stencil to the wall.

5.) Poured a small amount of paint – not all of it – into a saucer.

6.) Picked up a small roller and painted.

If you can master the six steps above, just imagine the possibilities. You could stencil yourself an aviary:

A harem straight out of Marrakech:

A butterfly zoo:

Perhaps even a real zoo, not that butterflies in and of themselves aren’t thrilling:

A disco for your baby:

A half-price chandelier:

A diner:

A coat rack:

You could even stencil a (bath)Room of Your Own: