From DIYinfo.org
Stencilling is one of the oldest decorative effects and can be as simple or ornate as you wish. Traditionally, stencils were cut from oiled cardboard or even brass sheets and were regarded as a craftsman's tools. Today you can still use brass and cardboard stencils but inexpensive plastic stencils are now readily available in an enormous variety of contemporary and traditional designs. You can also design and cut your own stencil using a plastic sheet and tracing your chosen design with a china graph pencil or a fine indelible felt tipped pen.
[edit] Before You Begin
It is important to use the correct brush for stencilling, an ordinary paint brush will not do. Stencil brushes are flat topped and are used by dabbing the brush down onto the area to be coloured, rather than stroking. This prevents paint being pushed under the stencil edges and smearing the design. You can use small natural sponges.
As for your paints, it is best to use acrylic or special fast-drying stencil paint. If mixing colours to achieve a desired tint, mix enough for the entire room, as it is difficult to duplicate a particular colour mix. Take care too that your paints are very creamy in consistency, so they will not clog the brush or sponge, but not so thin that they will run under the stencil edges. If you are stencilling in more than one colour and are concerned that the colours should not run into one another, paints can be dried quickly with a hairdryer on low force and medium heat.
If stencilling with more than one colour, it is a good idea to cover with masking tape those parts of the stencil design to be painted in the second colour. Wait for the first colour to dry before stencilling with the second one and so on. This will stop one colour from bleeding into the other.
[edit] Materials
- suitable paint and stencil brushes.
- linseed oil and turps (white spirit).
- manila cards and cutting board.
- sharp craft knife, plumb line and spirit level.
- pencils, chalk and masking tape.
[edit] Method
1 Paint the wall in the normal way. Then, using a plumb line and spirit level, mark the position of your border, marking both horizontal and vertical base lines.
2 Place the stencil on the wall, aligning its edges with the drawn lines and marking each comer of the stencil with easily removed blackboard chalk. Continue placing the stencil along the guide lines, marking the corners along the entire length of the border.
3 Attach the stencil to the wall with masking tape. If you are using more than one colour, cover over any areas to be painted in another colour with masking tape to avoid paint overlapping.
4 Be sure to remove any excess paint from your brush or sponge before applying it to the wall. You will find surprisingly little paint is needed. Work in circular movements from the centre of each cut out area to the edges. Part of the charm of a stencilled decoration is the variations that occur in paint application, so don't feel compelled to paint until a solid block of colour appears, or to match one motif exactly to the next.
5 When the paint is dry, unmask the stencil and clean it if necessary. Then move the stencil to the next set of chalk marks and paint as before. Continue in this way until the border is completed.
