Easy Craft Shelf Makeover

So, Chris and I live in a very sterile apartment.  And by that I mean all of the walls are white. Yuck.  Bringing color in through furniture, throw pillows, and blankets is fine, but I really wish we could paint our walls.  I need a little color in my life!  But even though I love color, I also really love subtle designs in some places.  They can make the most boring piece of furniture stand out, and that’s what I love about it!

Using stencils has become a favorite way to add beauty to the bland in our home.  I’m not great at stencils still because the only other time I’ve ever used them was for an organization project, but I’m slowly getting better.  They’re fun to use and depending on the size of the piece you’re working on, they don’t take very long to do!

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Materials

• Rose stencil (bought at Michael’s)
• Martha Stewart acrylic paint, Champagne
• Spray adhesive for stencils
• Small paintbrush

My craft shelf from Michael’s was so much bigger than the magazine and pencil holder I had stenciled previously.  Being bigger it came with its own set of issues, but I felt like I did fairly well with it.  All I did was move the stencil around and slowly (and carefully) paint my design on the shelf.  The one thing I would highly suggest is to use stencil adhesive to keep everything in place while you’re painting!  That’s one thing I did not use with my first project and I definitely regret it now.  Just don’t overspray or you’ll end up with residue on whatever you’re stenciling.

I am still not great at using stencils, and if you look closely you’ll see all the small mistakes I made.  But I’m pretty proud of how this came out and I’ve gotten quite a few compliments on it when I’ve had family over.  Chris says it’s a little too girly for his taste, but I keep telling him that once we buy a house it’s going in my craft room so it’ll all work out.

Have you ever used stencils to liven up a piece of furniture in your home?  What are some tried and true stenciling tips that you could share to help me get better?