Monday, February 6, 2012

Stencil/Stucco Help for my Cupboard.

I think I mentioned a while back
that I wasn't sure what to do about this huge cupboard
we inherited from my husband's grandfather.



For a while, I have just kept it the way it is,
but as I've been painting and re-doing this living room,
I felt it needed to be cleaned up and updated.

I saw this fantastic redo on Pinterest




and liked the idea of the added detail.




I checked out the stencils at the local craft stores,
but just didn't see anything I really loved.

So I headed over to the Graphics Fairy
to see what I could see.


When I came across this graphic,
I knew I'd found the right one.



I enlarged the image when I printed it
and had to ad the part that was missing,
plus some extra greenery to the top and bottom
so the size would work better on my cupboard.


After tracing the image,
leaving parts out so it would be more of a stencil style,
I cut away using my x-acto knife.


When I got it the way I wanted,
I painted it to get a sample image
so that I could adjust parts that didn't look quite right.


 I measured out
and then taped the stencil where I wanted it on the door.


I had purchased the necessary stucco through Amazon,
and grabbed one of my kid's wide plastic knives
to apply the stucco.


I smeared and leveled the stucco until it looked pretty even. 


Tip #1: It's best to cover the stencil surface so it's slightly thicker than the stencil,
but not too thick..
This isn't hard.
  When you experiment, you'll see what is best.


Tip #2: I let it sit for about 15 - 30 minutes to dry up a little bit,
and then I carefully pulled the stencil off.
 I tried pulling the stencil off right away, and it worked fine.
I just felt the image was more stable when I let it sit;
I wouldn't let it sit much more than that though
as you don't want it to harden up with the stencil on.




Tip #3: I found that pulling the stencil from the bottom to the top
creates a sharper image,
not allowing the stucco to droop.



Using a pointed utensil (I used a pencil),
 I added some detail to the bird.


Excess stucco can be scraped from the stencil and reused.


Tip #4: The stencil does not need to be washed in between immediate uses,
just scraped off.
However, it is IMPORTANT to wash the stencil after final use for the day.
The stucco gets pretty hard when dried.



I also created another stencil from an enlarged part of this image
from the Graphics Fairy.



 





It takes about a day or two to let the stucco harden.
Once hardened, the stucco is very durable.




Now I need some help on what color to paint the whole thing.

Should I add color to the stuccoed image?

I'm looking forward to seeing this project finished
and am glad I found this way of using stucco to enhance furniture,
thanks to another blogger!

Thank you,

Twice Lovely Blog
and
Graphics Fairy Blog

(To see the finished cupboard,
click >HERE<)








Be sure to check out this fantastic giveaway:
$75 your choice of jewelry
from the fabulous Etsy shop "Form and Function"
going on right now!




26 comments:

  1. Hi! I found you after a series of clicks that led me all over but I'm glad I did! We seem to have some things in common and I'm looking forward to folling you. Can't wait to see what color the cabinet ends up! Such a neat idea with the stucco! =)

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  2. I am always blown away by the facility with which you do these things.

    I would probably add just a touch of color to the stuccoed image, just enough to bring it out slightly.

    Can't wait to see the finished result!

    =)

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  3. What a neat idea!!! It looks fantastic on that cupboard! I can't wait to see the end result!

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  4. Wow! I love this idea. So awesome!

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  5. I LOVE IT! What a transformation!!
    I took stucco and just lathered it on my backsplash in the kitchen. Then I took a big leaf stamp and imprinted it ... let it dry ... then painted with a high gloss enamel. It's held up now for over 10 years:) Isn't that some fun stuff to work with :)

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  6. THAT is so beautiful!! Thank you for sharing this great tutorial. I'm definitely pinning this for future reference on any repurposed furniture I paint! :)

    xoxo laurie

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  7. Very nice. I'm just learning about setting up my Pinterest boards, and I'm going to pin this.

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  8. You have knocked my socks off. I had no idea on this earth you could do something like that and it turned out really nice! sandie

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  9. Great idea! I'm glad you shared, hope to try this soon!

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  10. Wow that looks just amazing! I am so impressed. You did a great job!

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  11. Wow you did a really good job with the stenciling and transferring the image onto the cupboard! I love the image you chose too :o)

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  12. This turned out absolutely FANTASTIC!

    I love all the detail, especially the bird stencil!

    I would LOVE it if you'd link this up at Feature Friday FREE-FOR-ALL going on right now!

    http://www.fivedaysfiveways.com/2012/02/feature-friday-free-for-all-6-little.html

    Hope to see you soon!

    P.S. I'm a new follower. : )

    ~Abbie

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  13. That is just gorgeous! I would be in a terrible dilemma about what colour to choose when this whole piece is so beautiful.

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  14. This transformation is just stunning!What a beautiful piece you have inherited!

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  15. Good to see this tutorial. I bought a stencil and planned to do this, but ... you know how that goes ... maybe later. But this is an inspiration.
    You did a really nice job. I can see it painted the same color as the cupboard and antiquing would highlight the design. Is it necessary to smooth the edges of the pattern before it hardens or light sanding after?
    Blessings
    Audrey Z @ Timeless Treasures.

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  16. What a great idea! Your stencil choices are perfect and I can't wait to see the finished result. Happy Valentines Day and Happy Pink Saturday. ~Marti

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  17. How Beautiful! Happy Valentine's Day via Pink Saturday!

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  18. What a terrific job, love the stenciling. Thanks for sharing. Happy Valentine Pink Saturday!! ~Lorraine ♥♥♥

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  19. This is knock out gorgeous! I can't wait to see what color you paint it and what the end result is! So glad I saw you at Beverly's Pink Saturday. ~Diane (I am #16)

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  20. Wow, impressive! We loved having you link up to our "Strut Your Stuff Saturday!" We hope to see you back next Saturday with more fun ideas! -The Sisters

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  21. Good tutorial. Thanks for sharing this technique.

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  22. oooh I have a cupboard I have been just waiting for the right 'touch' to add. This stucco effect is a great idea! Off to see the final transformation :D

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  23. It really changed the look! Please share your projects at www.creativecraftsthursday.blogspot.com each and every week and check out what other creative divas are up to.

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