[Photo's by Emily Westbrooks]
What to do
- Create your stencil. Decide what shape you'd like to stencil your piece
- this is a great way to bring in a trendy pattern you couldn't find
anywhere else. I chose to use several different feathers, but you could
do simple, graphic birds or stars or even just circles to make polka
dots!
- You can either freehand draw your stencil on the card and cut it
out with the craft knife, or you can print out a shape, trace it onto
the card and cut it out. You'll want to cut out several copies of your
stencil as you can only really use each sheet once before the paint
starts to soak through.
- Once your stencils are ready, you can get your furniture ready
for painting. Use the sander or sandpaper to smooth down the finish of
the piece you're working on. I found an electric sander took off the old
beat up varnish in just five minutes. I chose not to sand the rest of
the piece because I wanted to keep it looking rustic - just updated!
- Wipe dirt or sawdust off the surface with a damp cloth.
- Arrange your stencils on your furniture. You really can't go wrong here
- stencils look great grouped together or spread apart. Secure your
stencils with blue tack.
- Paint the inside of each stencil, brushing from the edge into
the middle so paint doesn't get underneath the card. Paint one coat and
let the paint dry without removing the stencil. Paint a second coat (and
third if necessary) and remove the stencil. If you need to add one or
two more stencils, now's the time to decide!
- If you have a piece of wooden furniture like mine, you will want
to paint the surface you sanded with a few coats of varnish (letting it
dry in between).
Then sit back and enjoy your newly revamped piece of furniture. You now have a one-of-a-kind piece you created!
[Emily Westbrooks - www.fromchinavillage.com ]
Thanks Emily
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