An Awkward Wall and Some Stencils.

I have an awkward wall in between my living room and my kitchen.

The door to the upstairs is there

and the thermostat,

so there isn't much space to decorate or hang things.

I thought maybe I should get some wall paper for it,

but not wanting to spend the money for such a small section,

I decided a stencil might work instead.

 

 I've noticed stencils seem to be making somewhat of a come-back,

or maybe I've just developed a love for them again.

I found the images I wanted at the Graphics Fairy...

 and made stencils of them.

(A good help for perfect circles...

 is a hold punch.)

After experimenting on paper to decide the colors I wanted to use,

I filled my tray,

 

and got the brushes I needed,

one for each color.

 (I got a few extra smaller ones for some of the detail I needed to add).

Starting where I wanted the stencil to be most perfectly centered,

 I  taped it up

(I just use regular scotch tape since it doesn't stay up there very long),

and began painting.

I used my hands and eye to measure the distance between the birds,

alternating the stencils on a diagonal to give it more variety.

 Here's a bit more detail of how I did it.

 Taking a measurement: if I had to use a ruler and try to get them perfect,

 I would get too frustrated and it would likely turn out worse for me.

My attention span is too short.

My two year old's patience with my painting on the walls
 is too short.

I start with lighter colors,

like the light brown

(which was actually a combo of brown, yellow, and white)

 Using the same brush,

I did darker brown in the dotted circle

 (When I need to use the lighter brown again,

I will just pounce the brush out a bit in the tray;
I don't rinse the brushes at all while stencilling
because it tends to make the stencil wet
and the images smear).

 Next I did the red mixed with white.

 I did not mix the red with white to make pink,

I just used the two colors and let them mix themselves on the wall.

Using the same brush,

I painted straight red paint around the edges of the birds.

Then I added just a touch of brown along the wings,

using the same brush.

 (Again, when I am ready to start a new bird,

I will just pounce the brush in a dry part of the tray,

and reload with a good amount of the white and red.)

Next I used the green brush.

 I chose to keep the green simple and just use one color for it.

 (Eyes were added after removing the stencil.)

It doesn't really matter which color you start with,

as long as you start with the lightest color on that brush.

Have a damp rag is handy for the times when the paints smear a bit under the stencil.

I added some free-hand vines to the scene

using paint that was half water/half paint.

I added some extra flowers on some of the vines,

five petaled red flowers,

a few buds,

and an occasional leaf.

Some vine patches were put in where a white space looked a bit too big,
as well as some three dot designs.

 

 I am happy with the way the wall looks now.

I think it looks cheerful
and just right
for the little pieces of furniture that fit,
like the fun antique mustard cupboard an aunt gave us.

It's a plus that the expense of wall-paper was avoided as well.

Have you stenciled any fun projects lately?

I would love to see them, so let me know!

Linking up to:
The Graphicsfairy.blogspot.com
Missmustardseed.com
Funkyjunkinteriors
Hiphomeschoolmoms.com
Houseinroses.blogspot.com
Betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com
Homemakeronadime.com
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Creating a House of Grace - Twice Owned Tuesday
Not Just a Housewife - Show Me What Ya Got
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A Bowl Full of Lemons
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