Arrow Stencil Wall & Giveaway!!

Today I'm going to show you a very simple, stencil how-to. You may be a beginer...or you may have used stencils in the past, and that's awesome too. But be sure to check out some helpful tips for getting the job done right, and don't forget to check out the stencil giveaway at the bottom of the post!! 

This is my daughters room in our temporary apartment, that just got a makeover for her 13th birthday. I opted for something simple, and that took minimal effort to paint over when we move. I chose a small focal wall for the treatment. 

Let me show you how its done....

To start, what supplies do you need??

If you are new to stenciling, or if you don't already have all the tools, I would grab a "Stencil Essential Kit". This will have everything you need to start any stencil project. If you plan on using lots of colors on one stencil, I would recommend purchasing more than one stencil brush. They are sold in a pack, or individually.  The kit also comes with a foam roller, perfect for using one color on a stencil, and a clip on level (a life saver).

Choosing the right stencil for the job, can be exciting, and a little daunting. There are soooo many choices. Keep the size of your project in mind. 

How many walls are you doing?

 How many colors are you using?

 The more colors you have to stipple, the longer it will take. An all over pattern, will use just one color, but will require the entire surface to be covered, and extra time to carefully line everything up. Furniture pieces, and focal walls are a good place to start for a beginner.

In this room, I chose the Indian Arrows Stencil, by Cutting Edge Stencils. It also comes in a simple border type as well. This stencil is still considered an all over stencil, which means you line up one corner of the stencil, with the previous part you just painted....Even thought the whole wall isn't actually covered. A border stencil is just one row of the arrows.

For the paint, there are lots of options. I did a small wall here, so I just used tubes of acrylic paint. You can also use sample sizes of latex, or whatever you have on hand. A latex will cover better, as the acrylic paints tend to be a dryer finish as you are painting, and may not spread as well. Just make sure to use a minimal amount of paint for any type, so your paint doesn't bleed though. I have several sizes of stencil brushes, and I was using lots of colors, so they all got used. I like to use a sticky spray of some sort as well, any kind of temporary bond or light bond adhesive will work here. It just helps your stencil stick a bit as you position it. Masking tape for the edges of the stencil, to hang on the wall. Lastly, paper plates for the paint.

Ok you guys this is going to sounds so silly, but I have been painting for almost 16 years, and Iv'e done LOTS of different kinds of stencils.....and I have never used a level. 

I WISH I COULD GO BACK IN  TIME!!!

I'm not sure when this was actually created, I guess I didn't get the memo! But this is the best tool ever!!! The stress of trying to make sure it is all lined up just so, is time consuming, and I still didn't get it right every time. If you don't end up needing a whole kit, you can purchase it separately here. Small price to pay, to not deal with the headache of it. Even if it's an all over stencil, and it seems like you can just line it up perfect......you can't get it perfect.

It just clips on to the top of the stencil. Just make sure you verify that it is pushed down even on the top, on each new placement of the stencil. You may accidentally grab it as you pull the stencil off, and then your lines are off.

Again, I just use a light amount of spray, maybe every other painted section of wall.

I like to start in an inconspicuous spot, to hide any imperfections on your first pass. 

The corner of a wall, is also a good spot to really get lined up. You could also start at a top corner, but then you in the air on the top of a ladder, with multiple paint colors, and it can be a little distracting at first.

I just lay out my paint in a row, to start my pattern. 

I was using more of the lightest blue so I just grabbed the bigger brush, but the same rules go for any size. Lightly dab some paint on, and squash it back off. 

You don't want the bristles completely wet, or coated in paint. Or the paint will start to bleed under each area. These openings are small, and there's alot of them, so it would be alot of touch up. Next your just going to stipple the brush on the wall. 

All that means, is pouncing at it, straight on. 

If you push to the left or right, or up or down, the bristles will push under the plastic. This is why the brush is so stiff with a shorter length. 

Same thing goes with the smaller brush. 

When you start putting multiple colors on the stencil, be mindful on the first pass, of what you want and where. It will set the pattern, and make it easier to follow later.  Once all the colors are done, pull it off and move to the next area. 

In the picture below on the top right corner, you can see a small piece of arrow, and one at the bottom as well. This is your guide for when you move the stencil. You will line the next row up with this piece. Allover stencils will all have something like this, where you can match up the pattern to the next section. 

 

The coloring came out a bit darker than I wanted here, and the picture makes it look darker than it really is. I used a hot pink, a peach, a coral, and several shades of blue.

As a pattern of placement on the wall, I typically start on bottom left corner, since the markers to match the stencil up are at the top and bottom right. Then I move up one, then over one. Then up one, then over one. I usually get the bottom half done without a ladder, then move up. By this point you have developed a rhythm, and it comes easy. You will also know your color pattern well. 

That is it you guys, sooo easy, just take your time. 

Be patient while the stencil dries a minute or two between sections. You can always dab the back with a rag, if there are any bleed throughs, to help the drying process. 

Using a stencil on a smaller area makes it more powerful, the whole room doesnt need the same treatment. 

Something like this is very easy to paint over when it's time to move. So if your in an apartment, a temporary home, or just love to change it up all the time, this kind of treatment is perfect. You could also use the border stencil at chest height around the room, as a way to bring a room together, and cut down on the cost of artwork. It almost acts as a stripe. Keep something like that simple though, with just one color. You don't want to overwhelm a space with to much pattern. 

Here is the completed room. 

If you missed the post on the reveal, check that out here...

"Girl's Modern DIY Makeover".

More how-to's from this room are coming!!

 Don't forget to sign up for the giveaway, lots of ways to enter!!!

A big THANK YOU to Cutting Edge Stencils, for this beautiful stencil, and for sponsoring this post. All thoughts, and opinions are my own!

Check out their amazing selection of stencils, stencil supplies, design ideas, and their blog.

a Rafflecopter giveaway




Find other how-to's here.....
Girl's Modern DIY Room Makeover
Pink Upholstered Headboard
Custom Made Turquoise & Gold Nightstand
Painted Laundry Basket, Painted Mirror

Craft Room

 Just before we decided to move from our previous house, I finished the last two rooms in our house. Like literally, a couple days before. Isn't that the way it always works. You live in a place for years, and finally get it all beautiful, and perfect, and then you have to give it to someone else. BOO!

Well, at least I got to enjoy this craft room for a month or two, before the whole thing was packed into boxes. The craft supplies you see here, unfortunately, are only about half of what I really have. I know, it seems crazy. It felt crazy when they dumped all the "craft room" labeled boxes in the new study. There wasn't a bit of floor showing....obviously I have a craft addiction problem! 

My new place is coming along, but it's really more function, than form right now. My Etsy business is doing really well, as is my craft booth at a local shop here in town, so I'm working in the space during all of my free time (aka midnight), so it had to be usable. 

It's not to say that this room wasn't usable, because it was. My stuff just seemed to grow on the open  shelves, and I kept running out of room. I purchased two of these shelving units from Ikea, "Gorm". They are super budget friendly, at about $30 each. They are made of unfinished pine. I used a thinned-out stain, and rubbed it on with a staining pad, just to give it a little color. 

 

For storage I used white boxes from Micheals. They usually run $1.00-$3.00, with sales. The look simple enough, and let all my fun decor stand out. 

So if you don't already know, I have a major bird obsession!!

 Like, my family calls me the crazy bird lady... it's fine, I have excepted it :)  and hey, they keep buying me stuff to add to my collection. So I guess it hasn't gotten too out of hand......yet. My craft room is where most of it ends up, so this room had to have color, and lots of it. 

These little birds below are my favorite. I picked up three at Round Top last year. I would have gotten more, but my friend talked some sense into me. 

What are friends for! 

They are made from wood and hand painted, and they sit on top of a piece of drift wood. 

Here are some fun, colorful, and affordable alternatives, to the ones I have in my room. 

These are by 5 Love Birds Nest on Etsy. I'm definitely going to need a few of these ;)

    

On each shelf, I used my supplies as the decor. Alot of what I have, already is full of color. So on the neutral shelving and white boxes, the items really stand out. I did consider painting the rack a color, but I felt like it would have been to busy. 

Flower frogs, hold little note cards.

Above the shelving, in the blank space, I used some large laminated bird cards, that I received as a gift. These cards are about 8"x10", and are numbered with different types of birds. Calendar cut outs could work here as well, or just a collection of prints. 

Here are some beautiful bird prints, that you could use instead, from "Wild Heart Histories" on Etsy.

Love these!!!

      

These color birds on stands, are from West Elm. They have a wire stand, which makes it easy to bend, and mount on them on a wall. I used books to help make a color theme for each shelf.

The birds are no longer available at West Elm, but these Seedpod birds are a good alternative.

This fun chair sculpture came from Urban Outfitters, a fun way to hang jewelry or little nick-knacks.

On the other side of room hang curtians from Ikea. They had a fun red tree print, and at only $12 a pair, they were a great deal,. 

The cabinet is an antique, made by my great, great Grandfather. 

I showed you how I updated this piece on the To Paint or Not To Paint-Antique Furniture.

Before

I used this piece to house some of my painted animals. 

Above it hangs a little collection of art. The "No Rest for the Awesome" sign, was a gift from my best friend, she thinks I'm awesome :) She got it on Etsy from Printed Palette, they have all sorts of great prints.  The hoop art is from one of my favorite shops Three Red Apples on Etsy, I had this piece custom made. The inspirational quote, "and if not, he is still good", is from Raising Up Rubies on Etsy.

More amazing birds! How beautiful are these Bali Starlings?!?

A small couch is on the other side of the room, is the perfect for relaxing....which I never did, not once! But the kids did hang out on it while I worked. 

Since it is a small love seat size, all it needed was two small pillows. The bug pillow was from Target. The striped pillow I made from a sample swatch of fabric, which was discontinued at Calico Corners (and it was free, score).

Here is how the love seat started.

 It was in my moms office for years, and my parents brought it down with some other furniture after my Grandmother passed away. The color was a bit worn, but it was a good solid piece. 

I picked up this great linen textured, coral duvet from Target. It was on clearance for $20!!

I cut it up, and reupholstered the love seat with this. 

The end table was also from Target, but I didnt like the color of the wood, so I painted it in a mint color, to go with the room.

On the wall, I made a little collection of bird things. The antiqued paper print was lacking color, so I painted just a few things on the picture to make them stand out. A West Elm bird, is mounted to the wall above the galvanized shelf.

 In the shelf, fat quarters of fabric are grouped by color. 

The bird print here, is from Jones Design Company. She has all sorts of inspirational, and religious prints. 

A three tiered wire rack, was perfect for holding my tubes of paint. Found this at Hobby Lobby for around $30 on sale. 

I wont show you the whole work table, since it's usually a disaster, but I will tell you that I found a really great drop leaf table, for around $100. It was wide enough to keep the sides down and still have a good sized work space, but skinny enough not take up a bunch of the rooms space. I can pop up one side of the table, so if one of the kids wants to do some art work, it wont disturb what I'm working on. Here is some more of my storage solutions. An antique bread pan, holds my rolls of ribbon. 

This pan has been used for lots of decorating and storage needs over the years. It's held shells, fall decor, Christmas ornaments, the options are endless. These can be found at antique stores, and on Etsy, at shops like Pickers Warehouse, and Territory Hard Goods.

Sadly, this is no longer my craft room, but I like my new one, which I hope I'll get around to showing you before I move out of here!
I'll show you the last couple or rooms, from the old house soon.
You can check out most the house, HERE, or at the top of the page, under "My House".