Stencils and Wall Art!

Please share your tips for using stencils in home decor and I'll add them to the site so we all can share your knowledge. Here's a few pointers I found on using stencils, but I would love to add more.

How To Make the Most of Stencils

A stencil can be best thought of as a physical negative; it is simply a sheet of material,usually plastic or a heavy construction paper, that has had sections removed to create an image. All you have to do to recreate the imagine is to place the stencil on the recipient object and run paint or some other pigment over the entire stencil. Because the paint will have passed through the holes in the stencil onto the recipient object, you will be left with a perfect recreation of the image. Want to create a second or third image? Just use the stencil again as often as you want to create identical images.

How to Use Stencils for Home Decor

Stencils can be incorporated into almost any home improvement or arts and crafts project you do. Indeed, your imagination is the only real limit to where you can use stencils.

A popular use for stencils with arts and crafts is to create beautiful greeting cards. Instead of using stock cards this holiday, why not create personalized holiday cards with the use of a stencil? Stencils can also be a great way to encourage creativity in children. Younger ones will enjoy using stencils because they can do all the work themselves and still end up with a perfect image.

The most popular use for stencils around the house is for border, whether around wall edges or as a border around windows or door frames. A more creative use of stencils is to paint large images on your walls; in this way, you are using stencils in the place of or as a trendy alternative to wallpaper.

How to create the best high quality stencil image

Stencils are undeniably easy to use. That is after all, one of their main attractions. Nonetheless, you can take steps to ensure that you are creating the best images possible.

If this is your first time stenciling, it is probably a good idea to try it out on pieces of paper before painting a large oriental flower scene on your dinning room wall! It is important to get a feel for how much pressure to use when applying the paint, and more importantly, how much paint to use. You will likely be surprised at how little paint is actually needed to create a strong image.

To place the stencil on the wall, you have two options. The cheaper method is to simply use masking tape. The advantage of masking tape, other than its economy, is that it does not need to be cleaned off of the stencil, as opposed to adhesive repositioning spray, your other main option. Adhesive repositioning spray creates a firmer hold than masking tape, and is quicker to apply. Masking tape will still be a better option if you are planning to use both sides of the stencil, however, as you will have to wash off the glue before attempting to paint that side of the template.

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About the Author Steve Dolan is an artist and uses stencils around the house as well as in his art. Find out how you can use stencils too at http://www.stencilweb.com and for perfect lighting try http://www.lanternsweb.com

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Helpful Tips for
Decorating with Stencils

Stenciling has grown in popularity, especially in the world of interior decorating and home design. You don't have to be a master painter to be able to use stencils to enhance your decor, and many find it to be an enjoyable part of home decorating. Stenciling is also a good way to revive an old piece of furniture, or make an old piece fit in with your current decorating scheme.

Stenciling is much faster than hanging wallpaper, and a much more cost effective method of redecorating. A practiced stencil artist can even do designs that actually look like wallpaper. Stenciling can also be done on almost any surface.

As with any new undertaking, you need to make sure you have all of the necessary supplies before you begin to stencil. Your best investment will be in your stencil brushes, as these are essentially the main tool of any stenciling project. Try to purchase the highest quality stencil brushes you can afford. You'll be thankful you did when you see the difference they make in the quality of your work. You'll need to purchase brushes in a variety of different sizes and shapes. It's much easier and faster if you have enough brushes to use a different brush for each color, that way to don't have to stop and clean your brush between each color change.

Believe it or not, part of your stenciling success depends on having good quality paper towels at your disposal. Many stencil techniques require you to use what's called the dry brush method, in which you blot off almost all of the paint off of your brush and onto a paper towel before stenciling. To do this successfully, you need to have a paper towel that is capable of absorbing the paint from the brush, or you will end up ruining your design due to your brush being too wet.

Make sure that you have the stencil firmly secured in place before you begin Painter's tape will usually do a nice job, but for really intricate designs, or hard to reach places, you may find that a spray adhesive works best. Keep in mind, that if your stencil slips, you will end up with a big mess, instead of a beautiful design.

It is important to always clean your stencils well, because paint build up will interfere with the design, and make it harder for you to see what you are doing. It will also make it harder to use because the stencil won't lie completely flat due to paint bubbles, causing you to mar your design. You can purchase special cleaner for your stencils, and this works well to remove all of the excess paint build up. If you do a good job of getting them clean, you probably will only need to lay them flat in a sink and gently scrub both sides with water.

Since your brushes are a big investment, especially if you have purchased high quality brushes, it is crucial that you get them cleaned well after each use, to ensure their longevity and your success on the next project. It's a good idea to keep a small plastic container filled with a brush cleaning solution on hand while you work, and toss your brushes into it as soon as you are finished using them. Allowing them to soak will make them much easier to clean when you're finished with the project for the day. Before you start to work again, your brushes should be completely dry.

Stenciling can be a good way to pep up your current decorating scheme. It can be done in virtually any room of the house, and with practically any design you wish.

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About the Author John Taylor loves to stencil. Check out his favourite stenceling website: http://www.stencilsmore.com