Stenciling a wall for the first time
Have you ever considered the idea of stenciling a wall? It’s more cost effective than wallpaper but a little more time-consuming. Never the less, I went ahead and did it. I love the final product! Here is what I did.
I was itching to stencil a wall in our house for a while. I was waiting to get inspired as to where I could do it in our house. One day, while putting away laundry in our walk-in closet, I got the idea to stencil the back wall of our closet. I figured it was the perfect place to “test” a technique I had never done before. Bonus: it’s not a place we can see easily see in the house which means if I messed it up, it wouldn’t matter. That sentiment comforted me so I went on a search for a stencil design. Not as easy as you would think…
Finding a stencil design
There are millions of stencil designs!!! Ok… maybe I’m exaggerating a little… Maybe not millions, but there are a lot. I went on a stencil search in the Greater Moncton area as well as online and found that there are many different types of stencils, which I was not aware of. Big, small, self-adhesive and not, expensive and cheap… Ugh! And here I was thinking that this project would be somewhat “simple” … Nop! Lol
I did learn a lot though so, here’s what I learned.
Types of stencils
Did you know that there are different types of stencils? I didn’t and I truly thought they were all made the same. Ends up, they are not.
Wall stencils (also known as craft stencils or hobby stencils) can be made of flexible plastic, paper or metal. Some have an adhesive backing while others don’t. I thought you had to use painter’s tape on all stencils in order for them to stay in place while applying the paint. On top of that, they also come in many different sizes.
If you are wanting to do a wall stencil, my suggestion is the bigger the better. A big stencil covers a larger area which makes the process quicker. As far as the stencil having an adhesive backing or not, that’s entirely up to you. I used painter’s tape to hold mine up and it went well so it all depends on the detailing of your stencil and/or of your wall (if it’s textured or not).
Here are the stencil designs that I considered using for my wall:
It can be very overwhelming at times because there are no many option to choose from… Try sticking to your vision when browsing. I looked at the stencils that Carte Blanche had on hand which the majority are from Royal Design Studio. They have a nice variety of designs and sizes. I also had a look at the ones Micheal’s had in-store.
Important characteristic to look for in a stencil
Printed indicators
By picking a wall stencil, it will most likely have indicators on it. These will help you out when you move your stencil around on your wall. These indicators will help you make sure the design aligns correctly. The indicators on the stencil I used were printed on which I initially thought was neat for the price. After many uses and many cleanings, the indicators started to rub off which made it extremely difficult to align my design on the wall.
At some point I had to retrace them with a permanent marker to at least be able to finish my wall. It probably didn’t help that I was using the stencil far too many times without washing it in between applications… Rookie mistake on my part! Make sure to clean your stencil after 3-4 uses. Dry it off and then you’re good to go.
Punched-out indicators
Following my experience, I strongly recommend using stencils with punched out indicators which will not erase after you’ve cleaned and washed them many times. These stencils (with punched guidance points) do tend to be a little bit more expensive but they are, in my opinion, worth it if you want to just get in and do your project without any set backs. Keep your eye out for deals and sales and stoke up when there are good ones.
Material you will need
- Stencil
Remember, if it’s not self adhesive (like mine was) you will need either painter’s tape to stick it to the wall or an adhesive spray. I had painter’s tape on hand so that’s what I used.
- Old blanket or tarp – to cover the floor underneath the area you are stenciling.
You will most likely not make any mess being that you need really little paint on your brush or roller to apply it on your wall but better be safe than sorry.
- Stencil brush or roller – to apply the paint
Both tools are equally good for wall stenciling. It depends mainly on your stencil design and on your preference. I recommend you do a quick test on a piece of paper attached with painter’s tape to a wall with your stencil. By doing this on your wall, you will be able to see and feel what is most comfortable for you because stenciling on a flat horizontal surface versus a vertical surface is not the same.
- Paint – one or more colours depending on your vision
There are multiple kinds of paints that you can use for this and honestly, I say use what you have on hand first and if that doesn’t suit you then think long term before purchasing something. Here is what I mean.
If you know you will keep the design for a long time then go for quality paint that is easy to clean. If you are the type of person who likes change and will most likely repaint over the stencil in the near future then you probably don’t need to go with a fancy paint. I personally used what we had on hand which was left over light grey paint from when we had painted our garage a few weeks prior and it worked out great. If it weren’t for that, I would have probably gone with Chalk Paint so that I could use it for other projects.
- Paper Towel – to dab the extra paint on
I know that it’s not “environmentally” friendly to use paper towel but in this case it’s terribly useful to dab off the extra paint from your brush or roller. You don’t want any “bleeds” (paint running in between the stencil and your wall) of paint in your design. The use of paper towel is important. In order to not waste as much, I folded my pieces and used every inch and side possible before throwing it out.
- Measuring tape, pen and level – to start off your stencil straight
These will come very handy when starting you project and to make sure your design is straight and done right from the start.
How to start
Start with a clean wall. You don’t need to wash it if it’s not a high traffic area but dusting it would be good. When doing a wall stencil, it’s important to measure the width of your wall and find the center. Once you have that, you will align the center of your stencil at the top center of your wall.
As a starting point, I suggest using a level to make sure your stencil’s placement is straight. When it’s in the right place, fix your stencil with painter’s tape to make sure it won’t move and that you won’t need to hold it on the wall while you apply the paint.
Applying the paint
Dab your brush or roller lightly in your paint. Remove the excess on a paper towel until there is almost no paint left on it. Then go ahead and apply your paint to the wall. You will notice that it seems like the stencil itself is getting most of the paint compared to the wall. That’s entirely normal. Just keep going.
Start with less paint. It’s always easier to add more paint after than to remove some. After a few sections, you will get the hang of things and will get the feel of what you like and what works for you during the application.
Once you are done, you can let your stencil dry for a few minutes. Then remove your stencil from the wall and continue. Since you applied little paint, it will try quickly. It’s important to remove the stencil before it dries too much or else it may become difficult to remove.
And now you keep going! I started from the top and kept going down for a bit. Then went to the left and then to the right. It took me about 2 days to complete my wall. We have 9-foot ceilings so I needed a ladder for a good part of the project.
Notice how I taped the top of my bottom trim. I did this because when you start your stencil at the top of your wall, it will leave a small space between your painted design and the ceiling. You don’t have to but, by taping the bottom of your wall, you are mirroring that space from the top.
After two days of living in “suitcases” with our clothes everywhere, it felt really good to hang everything up again. Since we don’t have a window in our walk-in closet, the stencil really brightened up the space. It looks and feels like wallpaper which I absolutly love!
Although the stenciled wall brightened the closet, I felt like the dressers we had were too dark for the space. Soooo…. They received a face lift! I will have a post to share about what I did to those dressers soon.
It feels so refreshing, light and bright now to walk into our closet. Is this something you would consider doing in your closet? Let me know in the comments.
