The ragged wren : tips and tricks

I want to start off by announcing the Cutting Edge Stencil Give Away Winner

Congrats to "Nicki P"

If you missed out on this months "Giveaway", don't worry....

We have another fun one coming up next month!!

For today's How-To I want to show you a fun project in the Girls Modern DIY Room Makeover.

Custom Made Turquoise & Gold Nightstand

This fun table is super simple to make, and totally customizable!

All you need is a few basic pieces, and a great combo of paint colors.

Here are the supplies.

*A Round 1"x18" Stain Grade Wood Panel. I picked up this one at Lowe's for $11.

*3 Waddell 21" Traditional Wood Table Legs. From Lowe's for $5 each.

*3 Angled Top Table Leg Plates. Under $6 for all three.

*Measuring Tape

*Electric Screw Driver

*Paints/Stains

The wood top is a pre-made piece that Lowe's sells. They come in several shapes and sizes, so you'll have lots of options for any style table. I like that the wood is stain grade, and the edges are finished. You can cut your own, but for $11 it's worth it to skip that part.

I prefer the angle plates here, because the legs will spread outwards, not straight down. If your making a coffee table, or something not as girly, you could go with a flat plate.

The legs come in several styles. At the top there is a screw, so they can attach to the plates.

These were still a bit long for me, so I chopped a bit off the bottom. I measured one, then lined the rest up to mark them at the same spot. They are small, so either a hand saw or an electric saw will work well.

Here is what the angle of the plate looks like. It just pushes the leg out ever so slightly.

You can see how the leg has the screw at the top.

You'll need to measure out the three plates on the back. I set the screw holes around 1"-1.5" away from the edge. You can use 4 if you don't want it to be so dainty looking.

Screw the plate into place. The screws come in the plate package.

Attach the legs.

Could that be any simpler??

Next comes the paint.

The options are endless here....Though I do love the metal colored band around the edges. You could mix in gold with pinks, or coppers with neutral tones. You could even do a tone-on-tone here, and stick in the same color palette. Adding glitter just to the edges with some glitter glue instead of paint, would be a fun way to glam it up as well.

You don't need very much paint here.

I just used the sample size of paint. Which are under $3.

Brush it on in the direction of the grain.

Don't worry about the edges if you'll be painting them a different color.

I used this gold paint, which is very rich in color, and only required one coat. It is on the pricey side. You can use tubes of acrylic paint from your local craft store as well, and for under $2 a bottle.

The easiest way to get a good sharp edge, is to have your brush be about as thick, or thicker than your table width. Don't tape the top. The fresh paint WILL pull off if you put tape on it. You'll have to hand do his part. Don't worry about getting it on the top, you can touch that up later.

For the legs, I went with a washed out grey tone. The same color was n some of the fabric, and I didn't want them to have a painted look.

Wearing gloves, dip a rag in the stain.

Wipe it on each of the legs, making sure to saturate the seams and indentions.

It is always best too wipe in the direction of the grain.

You could add more coats, if your color isn't dark enough. Let them dry for 12-24 hours in between coats.

Here is the final product...

Simple, yet a good pop of color.

I just love the mix of turquoise and gold.

Check out the rest of the How-To's from this room.....

Girl's Modern DIY Room Makeover

Arrow Wall Stencil How-To

Pink Upholstered Headboard

Painted Laundry Basket, Painted Mirror

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.