Create Your Own Wall Stencils

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I wanted to do some geometric shapes on the wall in the baby room, so I created a stencil. Start to finish on this project is about 1-2 hours.

Pick your shape

You can trace fabric, freehand, or create your own shape. I used one of Tristan’s Photoshop brushes.

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Trace your shape

Trace your shape onto the stencil surface. I used leftover shelf-liner {contact paper}. It has a sheen on it, which means it won’t get soggy or ruined like paper would. You can also use posterboard to create the stencil.

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Cut out your stencil

I added thickness to my shape. Remember that if you have a shape like mine, you need to leave pieces of the inner portion attached to the outer portion or you’ll have a hole.

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Start stenciling

Tape your stencil on the wall with blue painter’s tape. You may need to use your fingers to hold parts of the stencil down to get a crisp line.

I’m using a mini roller cover I had, because I thought it would work best, but you can use a stencil brush, foam brush or sponge.

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Get in the corners

I always think it adds interest for your stencils to round the corners. Just use your free hand to help lay the stencil flat in the corner.

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If your stencil gets yucky…

Just wipe it off, let it dry, or make a new one.

Clean Up

You can always fix mistakes. Keep a wet paper towel nearby. If you pull your stencil off and see that the paint has bled, you can easily wipe it off. Once it’s dry, just touch up with the wall paint. You should go back and fill in the gaps that were left by the stencil, but in this case, I like how they look. I’m going to keep ‘em.

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