I think this site has great stencils. If you look down the left side, you will see tips and techniques, which is loaded with great information and help.

dressler stencils

What a beautiful old room! So charming :)

I have an old cape cod style home too, and have stenciled most of the wall. Nothing as elaborate as the picture you posted, however. Once you master the basic technique(which is to avoid too much paint on the brush)it's really fun and easy. You can find a lot of examples in a book by Janet Waring titled Early American Stencil Decorations, which you can probably find in your library or on ebay. I bought all of my supplies at the Seraph, and they have a good website with examples.

Hi anele. I have done a lot of stenciling- I love it~ very relaxing. I agree with Les, Dressler stencils are gorgeous! My technique uses foam squares about 4" which I crimp in my hand to form a rounded ball at the end. I then dab that rounded end in my paint (I just use whatever craft paint I have). Next, pounce off the excess on paper bags til that sponge is nearly dry. Go lightly with the paint, you can always go back in for shading later.   The best part about stenciling is- its only paint!! If you mess up, often you can wet a cloth and remove or worse case scenario, repaint the area. Practicing first on a piece of cardboard will help. Also, I found that its easier to shade when the original wall is flat paint. You can still do subtle shading on eggshell etc, but it's not as easy. Have fun. Here are some pics of my sunroom: (looks a little blurry- sorry

Sorry those pics were huge! I did resize them on photobucket- I dont know why they still came out so big.

Here's an easy stencil I did along the stairway. I've done a lot of stencilling in the past but not so much in this house. I use a regular make-up sponge to dab on the paint. I keep Q-tips nearby to "erase" little mistakes.

This is a little different than what you may be looking for, but I stenciled a full-room mural in my daughters' room, as shown here:

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I recommend going to stencilsearch.com, which is a very comprehensive website listing almost every stencil maker imaginable. Lastingimpressions.com is a good source for both stencils and stencil paints and supplies. If you are a beginner, I highly recommend using the oil based tubs of paint and stencil brushes. They are very forgiving. And like other posters mention, start light. Don't forget to offload your brush first on a paper bag or paper plate. You can always shade in darker later. Some beautiful stencils are made by Royal Design Studio, Andreae Designs, Mad Stencilist and Yowler & Shepps. You can purchase all their stencils, and more, through Lasting Impressions and I believe you get a discount for a certain purchase amount through Lasting Impressions, as well. Oh, and the most realistic and beautiful stencils usually have multiple layers to them -- it's a time consuming but rewarding and fun process. HTH.

For wonderful examples of colonial stencilling look up Moses Eaton Jr. I stenciled before it became popular, before you could purchase stencils and I always found his work inspirational.

Lovely room -- do you think that quilt is really hot pink, or red?

I'll wager it's red.

And I've so, SO enjoyed your tips and lovely rooms. I adore stencils, though I've only used them on my floorcloths.

Stencilling is fun, but if you want to do running borders you have to be willing to fiddle around with repeats and some basic arithmetic to keep an even rhythm and a logical sequence to the motif.

I use Japan paints and stencil brushes. And I've always wanted to try the 3-D effects with drywall compound or modelling paste!

Great link, Les., I've saved it as a favorite... easier than cutting your own.

Oh, thank you, everyone!!!! The rooms are very beautiful and inspiring, and the tips VERY useful! I will be reviewing it when I place my order based on what you have told me.

amsunshine, I noticed that some places sold stencils with multiple layers. Do you think they are too hard for a beginner? I was wondering how hard that would be and what the difference is.

Anele: I was a beginner before I did the stenciling I linked above, so I don't think multiple layer stencils are too hard for a beginner! (I had never stenciled before that project....) Everyone that comes to our house thinks I had it professionally done -- especially with the irridescent glitter on the stars and moon.

However, it does take a little patience and attention to detail. You'll find, though that the stencils usually come with some nice, easy to follow instructions that help tremendously.

Each stencil layer will have little "dots" in each corner that you can mark with a pencil (to erase later). These "dots" will ensure you line up each stencil layer perfectly. Get some blue painter's tape to tape up each layer and mark the "dots" on the first layer. The tape will hold up each stencil layer so that each layer is lined up properly.

I hope that makes sense! You can definitely do the multi-layer stencils! And the finished product will be so satisfying!

amsunshine-- thank you for the confidence boost and tips! Your work really does look professional. I am hoping mine comes out 1/2 as well as yours!

Yep, registration marks are the key to multiple overlays. The other key to good success with stencilling is DON'T OVERLOAD THE STENCIL BRUSH. The drier the brush the better, you want to avoid having the paint ooze under the stencil. And you should be certain the first overlay is completely dry before adding the next layer of color.

I always do a "test run" before embarking on the real project. this is also where you can fiddle and fine tune your color choices.

chelone, thank you for the tips!!

Here is another hard part-- picking out the stencils!

I'm leaning towards some from www.stencilplanet.com

and

www.designerstencils.com

So many choices!

Anele,

I used to do a LOT of stenciling and the information you've been given and the names of the best sites for stencils is wonderful information for you to at least get a good start.

Like the others mentioned, my biggest mistake when I started stenciling was having too much paint on my applicator (I used anything spongy that was available, from make-up sponges to old kitchen sponges. LOL) and learning that I HAD to pounce off the excess paint onto something--- be it paper plate, stack of old newspapers, paper bag, anything to get the excess paint off the sponge.
Too much paint on the applicator has discouraged many a stencil newbies.

All these stencil photos are fabulous -- thank you so much for posting them!

Regarding the raised stencils that Chelone mentioned in her post ---

Before I lost my mind and decided I wanted knock-down orange peel texture on all my walls, I had done lots of stenciling.

After the Orange Peel texture, I missed my stenciling and went about finding ways to incorporate it in small doses.

I found that raised stencils worked perfectly on my now-textured walls.

Small doses of raised stencil ---- just so I could do the very relaxing (to me) stencil effect in small areas. Just little touches that would show anyone who saw them that they were an extension of who I was.
Isn't that what decorating is about? *smile*

In those little areas, and even on textured walls, I was able to add the dimension of stencil, via Raised Stencils.
And oh my, it is soooo fun to do!
I suggest anyone ( Chelone ?) who wants to try, do it!

Best tip for raised stencils:
Very lightly sand the edges of the raised pattern/mud once it's dried and before adding decorative paint to it.
Gives the raised stencil a more softened appearance.

Here's a small, almost invisible, raised stencil that just barely curves around the light switch plate cover, one corner of the door and just barely noticeable curving around the bathroom lighting fixture.
These raised stencils were done on Tissue Paper texture bathroom walls.

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It's no where near as elegant as the examples already given, but I thought I'd show off my handiwork too. ;^)
I designed and cut my own celtic knot stencil for our dining room.

I started it down about two inches from the ceiling, as part of the five year plan is to eventually add wider crown moulding which should cover the wobbly looking top edge. I mixed the wallcolor with a creamy white and painted the background field, then added a touch of brown to the green to get a slightly darker shade for the design and border. It's nothing fancy, but it does add interest to an otherwise plain, boxy room.

Wow. the only stenciling i've ever laid eyes on was ewwie. This thread has totally changed my tune! Does look somewhat challenging. making sure everything's straight etc. very impressed! :)

Amity,

I'm really curious about 3-D stencilling. The books I have are all about paint and the only time I've ever seen the 3-D thing was on a Lynette Jennings show. It was outstanding! she used modelling paste (on the side of cast iron bathtub).

I'd be interested in doing it on walls or on skim-coated masonry behind a woodstove... what compound did you use to achieve the handsome, understated effect in your posted shots?

Did you purchase the stencils ready-cut or did you cut your own? If you cut your own what did you use to get the thickness required for good effect. How "thick" is the raised aspect of the stencil... 1/8" (more? less?).

Can you recommend a good book or a website that might be able to help me with this?

Found another stencil site that I thought I'd share . . .they are gorgeous! (see below)

cyn10, I've looked for the Seraph site but can't find it. Would you mind posting the web address? Thanks!

Thank you again, everyone, for the great tips and pictures!

I used tatouage, its a dry rub on paint and was soooo easy People think I had it done professionally, They have hundreds of designs too.

Hi Chelone! ( and anyone else who might want to give raised stencils a try!)

I first saw LJ's raised stencils on her TV show about 12 years ago and went about pricing the 'raised stencil paste'.

I think the price quadrupled back then because it was a relatively new idea for the DIYer and it had the words 'raised stencil paste' on the little 14 oz. bucket.

I was determined.
But I was broke.
I did have a 2 gal. bucket of wall/joint compound/ wall patch.
(Not the whipped. Don't use the whipped. Ask me how I know this. *giggle*)

I bought a regular stencil at Michael's of a full Wisteria vine (I think it was wisteria) for $2.99 and cut it up because I only wanted the leaves.
In our garage I had one of those plasticky "no parking" signs, 12" x 12".
I placed the cut pieces of Wisteria stencil on the thicker plastic sign, traced, cut out using exacto knife and I had my thicker and sturdier stencil.

That process worked for me for awhile (I admit, I got raised stencil happy) but got too time consuming with the cutting out of the thicker stencil on the No Parking Signs ( $2.98).

I went searching and found Victoria's web site (when she first started). She hadn't started advertising her raised stencils, only regular and 2, 3, 4 & 5 layer stencils. But the difference with her regular stencils was the thickness.

So I ordered one of her stencils, tried it on the apron of my M. bathroom sink vanity and I really liked the thickness of the stencil and the quality.

When Victoria Larsen first started out, her site was a whole two pages big.
She has grown!
She now has the raised stencils which are a little thicker and the design and the galleries on her site are fabulous!

I no longer visit her site as often as I used to because we are in the process of DIY redos, five rooms at the same time, but I do visit (and purchase) if I want just a touch of something, somewhere.

My latest: We used an old piece of granite on a few cinder blocks locked together and covered in cement. Turned the cinder blocks into a very sturdy little bench/granite seat out back. The cinder block, even though had the texture of the cement (dyed) was still missing something.
I am in the process of adding a raised stencil to the base part of the bench--- trailing vines stencil I purchased at V.L. middle of summer.

About the softer look with light sanding when the raised plaster is dry.
Below is a pic of a dried raised stencil.
See the edges?
That's what I didn't like when I first started doing Raised stencil.
So I used my nail file or my small square buffing nail file and then some water on my finger to soften the edges.
Just in my case, I like the softer edges of the raised stencils. Others might like the crisper edges and leave them alone.

Get yourself your favorite beverage and plan on staying awhile because this site is addicting and I can literally spend hours looking at the galleries and ideas sent in to VL by her loyal customers.

No, other than a few emails over the years when I had questions about a particular stencil, I don't know this woman nor do I have any vested interest in her website other than finding some good quality stencils with great customer service.
She is also selling on Ebay now but I haven't compared her prices there.

Sharp, dried edges of leaves.

Ooooh Maggie3,

I was so anxious to get a response to Chelone I missed that another photo of stenciling was added.

And Beautiful Stenciling it is!
I am always drawn to the airy look of leaves, in any form, painted, drawn, stenciled, real, so of course I especially love the leaves around the front door ---beautiful!

You all best stop posting these beautiful stencil pics.
I've refrained from starting any new projects --- part of my New Years resolution.
But seeing all these wonderful stencil projects and sites, I'm getting itchy fingers again! LOL

I would love to try stenciling and have a basement bathroom that would be a perfect place to start. Is it OK for the walls to have a sand finish, or does it have to be smooth plaster or drywall?

A very special thank you to Amity for making the time to anwer my questions and providing such a great link! (I will be fetching a favorite beverage shortly ;) ).

So it's joint compound, huh? (I wondered if it was) and you have to share the story about the "whipped" variety... . I know exactly what you mean about wanting to do something on a shoestring budget (story of my creative life). There is more than a kernal of truth to the old adage that "necessity is the mother of invention".

I agree COMPLETELY about "knocking down" the hard edges! doing so gives the work a sense of "history" and "belonging", make sense? In a sense, it's the reason I have no problem whatsoever with the oil-based polyurethane "yellowing" on my painted floors and floorcloths. Built in "antiquity"!

Maggie, I really like what you've done, too. This has been such a fun and inspiring thread for me (and others, I see!). A real breath of "fresh air". THANKS!