 | Diane Lewis
owns Three French Hens, a unique gift and decor boutique in Augusta, KS. Diane and her girls offer many years of experience in home décor and love to share their tips and techniques with curious shoppers. You can visit Three French Hens nestled in a quaint storybook house, located one block south of Highway 54 on School Street, or phone Diane at (316) 775-5875. |
Interior Decorating
2004-02-01 09:19:00
Stencil like a pro
ANSWER: Simply peel away what you can and then the rest of the border can be removed by mixing liquid fabric softener with hot water (about one cup fabric softener to a gallon of hot water). Just mix up the fabric softener and water, take a sponge and thoroughly saturate it with the solution and "wash" the area of border that didn't come off. Wait a few minutes and then take a scraper and remove.How do I prepare wood for stenciling?If your wood is unfinished, sand first and then wipe with a moistened cloth to remove dust residue. Apply a stain or clear wood sealer (flat or satin finish). Allow drying and then proceed with stenciling. You may then apply an oil or water base finish after you have allowed your stencil paint to cure (usually 2-3 days). Follow manufacturer's instructions for cure time as well as finish application. Keep in mind that water base finishes rarely yellow surfaces, while oil-base polyurethane can.How do I end a stencil design so that it ends perfectly at the corner of my room?Simply increase (or decrease) the space between the repeating elements of your border or design. Another option would be to place a coordinating design between the repeating elements, in such a way that increases (or decreases) the space needed to make your design end right before the corner. Obviously, if your border does not contain repeating elements, this would not be applicable. If you have a design that is continuous, you can try to extend (or shorten) various portions of the design to make it "fit".How can I add depth to my stenciled designs? I want them to look more life-like.You can do this by adding shadows using the same stencil. For example, if you wanted to place a shadow near a leaf that you've already stenciled. Take your leaf stencil and trace on a piece of paper. Cut out the leaf. Place the cutout on top of your previously stenciled (dry) leaf and secure in place with a small piece of masking tape. Take your leaf stencil and place it just beyond your cutout, where you would like the shadow of the leaf to fall. Stencil this "shadow" portion using a shade of gray.I would like to stencil a border at chair rail height. What’s the correct height for a chair rail?Most chair rails are usually between 32 and 36 inches from the floor. If you have a long, narrow room you may want to consider putting the rail at 36" to give the appearance of a lower ceiling and a more cozy space. If the room is small, place the rail lower at 32" to give the room height.
