Want to add some bright, vintage-inspired touches to your home for the upcoming warmer months? Look no further than this adorable tutorial for easy stencil art, complete with tips on stencil techniques to make you a pro!
How can we make art by using a stencil?
Are you old enough in crafting years to remember when Martha Stewart had a craft line? Of course, like everything she does, it was the best, and when it was discontinued around 2016, makers everywhere mourned. However, that dark night is over, and Martha Stewart Crafts is back and YEP, it’s SO good! This new line comes with incredible colorways of vibrant paint colors, tools for creating, surfaces for upcycling, and more—so of course we had to get our hands on it ASAP and get making. That’s when this cottage core-inspired stenciled botanical wall art was born!
What is the trick to using stencils?
The beautiful thing about Martha’s new stencils is that they are sticky! This means that they stay put as you’re applying paint, increasing your chances of success. Then, once you’re done you can rinse off the paint and reuse! The quality of the product including stencil, paint, and brush/sponge are crucial to a successful outcome. If the paint is thin and runny, if the sponge is uneven, and/or if the stencil won’t stay put, you’ll have a higher barrier to entry. So, now that we’ve completed this project with these tools, we can say for certain that they will make the process enjoyable because you can count on them to do what they’re supposed to!
Once I’ve decided on a stencil design, I love to peruse Pinterest for inspiration on color pairings, layout ideas, etc. We have loved this fun mix of cottage core/French inspired/botanical art we have seen on Instagram lately, so we used that to guide our design.
How do you get crisp lines when stenciling?
Some crafters can be intimidated by stencils and for good reason: the removal process is a real leap of faith. What if the paint bleeds? What if I ruin my surface? We have felt this terror too, that is, until a few years ago when we visited the craft Mecca—Plaid Crafts headquarters in Georgia. While there we were taught by Plaid’s paint experts about applying the perfect stencil and found that the key is: the less paint, the better! The more paint that is on your brush or sponge, the more likely you are to get bleeding and transfer issues. Instead, starting with a really minimal amount of paint and then layering for coverage will make your results more crisp. Typically, we’ll load our brush with paint and then dab if on a piece of paper a couple of times to remove any excess paint, then apply the paint to the stencil.
Supplies Needed to Make Easy Stencil Art
Wooden Plaque Blanks
Paint in Desired Colors (we used the spring blooms set)
Stencils (we used this kit)
Paint Brushes
Sponges (we used this kit)
How to Make Easy Stencil Art
Step 1. Begin by preparing your surface for the design. We did this by painting the surface white so that the paint colors would pop. (Applying a layer of paint before stenciling can also aid in more crisp results.) Let white paint dry completely.
Step 2. Apply the stencil. Then, load the paint onto your sponge and dab it on a scratch piece of paper until only a thin layer of paint remains. Apply the sponge to the stencil by doing a quick up and down motion. Repeat process until desired coverage is achieved. Remove stencil, then let design dry completely.
Step 3. If desired, use a pencil and ruler to draw lines/stripes. Then, paint them in using desired paint color and a paint brush. Repeat process until desired coverage is achieved. Let dry completely.
Step 4. Paint the outer frame of the plaque with your desired color. Let dry completely.
That’s it! All that’s left to do is hang and enjoy! For more spring project inspiration, visit our spring archive here. And for more stencil projects, from doormats to tote bags, click here.
Happy Making!
ox. Liz and Sam
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