Wall stencils are an easy and often affordable way to add patterns and unique design elements to a room. By securing the stencil to the wall and painting over it, or painting everything except the stencil, a plain wall can become a garden of patterns, colors, and even whole scenes. Available at craft stores and art supply or specialty websites, wall stencils are fun for all ages and can turn a room from boring to fabulous quickly.
There are several different varieties of stencils for walls. The most basic are often sheets of silicon or plastic with a design cut out. Holding the stencil firmly against the wall, the user then paints on top of the stencil. When the stencil is removed, the design remains on the wall. A great alternative to pricey and hard-to-apply wallpaper, a wall stencil can put pretty patterns all across the walls of a room in nearly any design imaginable.
Creating borders for walls is made easy with by using wall stencils. Border stencils are usually long strips that have a few combined designs, such as seahorses and seashells, or grapes, curling vines, and soft leaves. To apply wall stencils accurately for a border, get a measuring tape or level and use painter's tape to mark the top and bottom of the design. Once certain that the line is straight, simply hold the stencil against the wall and paint desired colors. Repeat the pattern all along the taped area for a beautiful border without tricky wallpaper.
Wall stencils can be a fun and inexpensive method of decorating children's rooms. Using a stencil with the alphabet cut out, spell out the child's name in bright letters above his or her bed. For aspiring astronauts, grab a step ladder and a few celestial stencils and make a whole night sky on the ceiling. For extra fun, use glow in the dark paint to make a room spaceship worthy.
Advanced craftspeople may enjoy creating wall murals with stencils. Many online companies offer sets of stencils to build an entire scene on a wall, floor or ceiling. For those without a garden, create a beautiful vista on a wall using flower, tree, and garden path stencils. If the house contains a prince or princess, turn a bedroom into an enchanted forest, a towering castle, or even the lair of a deadly dragon.
Using wall stencils can be a great alternative for people who want to paint but do not trust their artistic abilities to actually put designs up on a wall. Knowing basic painting techniques, such as using a darker color for shadows or a lighter color for highlights, can help make the completed design more detailed and beautiful. Yet even total novices can have a blast with a few small jars of paint and a pack of stencils, letting their imagination run wild and their stencil be their guide.
