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 What can be stenciled? Just about anything! Don't let your imagination end with only walls.
Stencil your shower curtain and some matching linen hand towels in the bathroom, a table runner for the kitchen or living room curtains. Scroll down for some helpful hints on what you will need and some useful tips on stenciling fabrics.
Dimensions for each stencil in our on-line catalog include the actual height of the design and the length of the repeat.
Overlays are often used not only for color separation (although you can use more than one color in a single overlay, often creating a pleasant blended effect), but to add strength to the stencil plate. Most of our stencils are single overlays, but where strength has been an issue, additional overlays are added, along with registration marks to make alignment easy. Instructions are included in every order.
Trimbelle River Studio & Design offers stencil designs in five categories, with applications ranging from linens to walls. Chances are you can make almost any design work for your particular needs. Larger wall spaces, darker rooms and higher ceilings allow the use of stronger designs and coloring. Smaller panels or walls, lighter rooms and lower ceilings generally do better with smaller or simpler designs and softer hues.
- Petite Stencils ~ Although these designs average only one to two inches in height, they can be used in a variety of ways. Table runners and other linens may first come to mind, but these designs could have originally been used for accenting frames, women's accessories and other smaller decorative items. You may also consider this size for panel work or to enhance crown molding.
- Small Stencils ~ This group of designs work well in areas where a smaller design is needed. Suitable for stenciling window curtains and larger table linens, these designs also work well for creating ceiling panels. Another excellent use for this size of stencil is to accent crown molding or run it continuously around a room with lower ceilings.
- Medium Stencils ~ The most versatile size of stencils, these designs work as well for eight-foot ceilings and larger curtains, as they do for filling smaller frieze areas. Another good option is to run them above or below picture rails in bedrooms, or any room where wood is the only treatment on the walls.
- Large Stencils ~ Larger rooms, especially ones with high ceilings, are perfect environments for bigger designs. Portieres, either in conjunction with - or as stand alone applications - are also beautiful ways to bring these designs to life. If one of these designs is desired and you have a small room in mind, consider stenciling one dominant wall or applying more muted and softer colors.
- Spot & Panel Stencils ~ Spot stencils are just what they sound like, a spot of design rather than a repeating border. Panel Stencils are designed to fit in areas like the wood trimmed panels in a Bungalow dining room. They are usually quite easy to adjust to any desired length.
A significant asset stenciling has over mass produced wall coverings and linens, is the flexibility it allows. Stencil colors can be customized: around a favorite object in a room; a complimentary color scheme, such as olive green with dark purple, or an ochre yellow with navy; or a monochromatic combination, using various shades and tints of the same color. Another important point, which should not be overlooked, is the unique character that the hand crafted art of stenciling has to offer. Mass produced applications simply cannot achieve the same affect or charm. Following are just a few more reasons to consider stenciling:
• Anyone can do it.
• Choose your own color scheme.
• Most surfaces are easily stenciled, including old plaster and textured "orangepeel."
• Excellent selling point for your home.
• Authentic wall decor for Bungalows and Arts & Crafts homes.
• Has a unique hand crafted character - unlike wall paper.
• Carry a motif throughout a room: walls, curtains, table linens, etc..
• Easy to change - just paint over it.
A few simple supplies is all you'll need to begin your stenciling project. We've listed the necessary supplies below, along with a few tips on what to look for and how to use them. You'll find all the supplies you need in our OnLine Catalog.
- Our stencils are laser cut from either 5mm or 7mm plastic. - repositionable Stencil Adhesive makes stenciling walls or fabric much, much easier. This revolutionary product creates a temporary bond on the back of the entire stencil. Reposition it again and again without recoating or leaving a residue. Also helps eliminate paint seeping under the stencil plate by holding down the bridges. In an average room you will only need to recoat your stencil a few times or whenever it starts to loose tack, so one can is more than enough. - Exceptional blending & shading qualities of Paintstiks® and their ease in use, make them a superior paint medium to stencil with, beginners and pros alike. Skip the acrylics unless you have to use them, and definitely if you have never stenciled before. Simply scribble the Paintstik® onto a smooth nonporous palette and transfer the paint with a stencil brush to the stencil openings. About the consistency of lipstick, this paint is very clean and easy to use. When heat set, it is washable and works wonderfully on fabrics as well as walls. Lower latex paint sheens, like Flat & Eggshell, will provide the best surfaces for these paints to adhere to providing faster drying times and more intense colors as well. Since you use a dry brush technique with these paints, you can readily move the stencil plate as soon as you have finished painting it. Complete drying time takes about 24 hours. We sell the sticks individually or in four color combinations. One stick per color is usually more than enough. - Using good quality, soft China bristle brushes will allow for great shading & blending and also make the job easier. You'll need one brush for each color used. While one person may like a larger brush because it will be faster, another may prefer a smaller brush that allows more control. For this reason we recommend a variety of sizes to start with allowing you to see what you like best. We carry four sizes - 3/8”, 1/2”, 3/4” & 1”. All four are included in the Starter Kit or if you prefer, order them individually. For brush size suggestions for each design, see the catalog insert or refer to the individual designs our website. (TIP OF THE TRADE... wrap the bristles with masking tape, leaving about 1/4" of the end bristles showing - this will firm up your brush and give you more control). - "The Master's®" Brush Cleaner & Preserver makes the oil based Paintstiks® water clean up. Use our nontoxic all purpose brush cleaner with our handy scrubber and for a super fast cleanup of your brushes!
• Choose a material with a fairly tight weave and without a nubby or heavy texture for best results ~ linen works well!
• Spray a piece of cardboard or poster board with the repositional stencil adhesive and allow it to dry. Lay the material to be stenciled on top, smoothing out wrinkles. Spray the back of the stencil plate with adhesive and allow to dry, then position the stencil on top of the fabric. The fabric is now "sandwiched" between the rigid cardboard backing and the stencil plate. This should eliminate shifting and make your stenciling easier. You may also try taping the fabric to a flat surface, but beware of paint bleeding through on thin materials. If you find this happening, you may have to forgo the cardboard option and place paper under your fabric, changing it when necessary to keep paint from transferring to the back of your material.
• Use Shiva Paintstiks® for stenciling fabrics. They dry to a flexible permanent finish and are washable when heat set which is a simple technique you do with an iron. To heat set: Let your paint cure at least 4 or 5 days, the longer you wait the more permanent it will be. Set your iron to the temperature recommended for the fabric you used. Place waxed paper over the design and iron for about 10 seconds, on both sides to set the pain. Launder in cold water, using a mild soap and a low dryer setting. Dry cleaning is not recommended as the solvents used in the process can dissolve the paint.
• After becoming familiar with your stencil on paper, practice on a scrap of the same fabric to become familiar with the paints and application process before heading off to the final project. If you have purchased pre-made curtains or runners, take a sample to your local fabric store and have them give you a 1/4 yard of a similiar fabric to practice on.
Click on our Online Catalog link to view our large selection of designs and stenciling supplies. 
All rights reserved. Stencils appearing on our website may not be used or reproduced on products for resale without written permission from Trimbelle River Studio. |
