Wall Stencil

A wall stencil can add flair and decoration to any room with a few simple strokes of a paintbrush. Of course, some wall stencils require much more effort than others, but there are stencils out there that are both simple to use, and create a very aesthetically pleasing effect.

Whether you are looking for a fun teddy bear stencil for your child's nursery, or a sophisticated French border for your living room, there are many options for finding the perfect stencil to spruce up your home interior design. Of course, some crafting stores will offer a small selection of wall stenciling materials; however, the selection of wall stencils available online is huge.

Some websites specialize in a certain type of stencil, such as stencils for baby rooms, while other sites have a wide selection of stencils from which you are apt to find just what you were looking for. You can either do a google search for the specific type of stencil you want (e.g. teddy bear stencil), or you can visit these websites and do some browsing.

• Wall to Wall Stencils: Offering a huge selection of stencils, in many different themes and many different levels of difficulty
• Designer Stencils: Many stencils for those with refined taste, as well as a few children's and whimsical variants
• Jan Dressler Stencils: Everything you can imagine from refined classics to fruit for your kitchen

There is such a wide variety of stencils available through the internet that you might actually encounter the problem of having too many that you love and be unable to choose one! If that's the case, take some time to consider which wall stencil is right for you based on some other aspects than the pure aesthetic of what a given stencil will look like in the room where you envision it.

Do you have a room in mind already? If so, what color are the walls of that room, or are you planning to paint them another color? For the sake of simplicity, keeping the walls their current color can save a lot of time, and there are so many stencils from which to choose that you have a great chance of finding a stencil that works with the color of the walls as they currently are. Choosing a stencil based on color is one way to limit the number of choices.

In addition, and perhaps the most important decision when choosing a stencil to decorate the walls of your home, is the amount of time and energy you are willing to put into the stenciling project. As you look at the different stencils available for purchase, pay close attention to the number of overlays that a given stencil has. One overlay means that you can do the stencil in one shot, move it to the next location where you'd like the stencil, and then apply it there as well.

Adding a second overlay means waiting for the first layer to dry, and then positioning the stencil directly over where you had it last time, and adding the second overlay (usually a different color of paint). Not only does the paint have to dry thoroughly between each overlay, it also takes a lot of patience to make sure that you've perfectly lined up your stencil on each subsequent overlay. A stencil requiring five separate layers might just be more work than you bargained for.

Stencils in and of themselves are great decorative tools; however, there are great ways to incorporate fun new ideas for wallpaper with a cute wall stencil. For example, a stenciled border might look nice in a room where part of the room is wallpapered, and part painted. Painting an entire room, and then using wall paper borders and a few stencils can create a finished look without the hassle of wallpapering the whole room; in addition, changing the room in the future will be simpler with paint and accents than it is with a completely wallpapered room.

Another fun idea is to use a fairly neutral wall stencil as a border, and then use removable wall stickers to completely change the look of the room every now and again. This option is particularly popular with children, who sometimes enjoy redoing their room every few years.

Whether you opt for simple stencil or a very intricate one, enjoy the process of creating your own masterpiece on the walls of your home. With a little practice, stenciling can become as automatic and as relaxing as writing a letter or enjoying a cup of coffee.

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