Wall Stencil Trick!

Guys! my husband is a genius!

Okay, So you guys. This is the new (finally photographed) wall stencil. Seriously one of the most tedious stencils ever. I didn't realize it until it was too late. Toward the end i was dragging myself along so I wouldn't leave the corners unfinished (the most difficult part!)

Here are three very useful tricks I learned along the way, and with the help of my mastermind of a husband. Background: This is my second time to stencil. My first attempt was with my tiny Miami Beach Apartment and a few cans of spray paint (I dont recommend at all!!). Spray painted wall stenil is just begging for a drip mark disaster. It's a good thing I dont have photos.

1. Use Stencil brushes.

Michaels sells a pack (of 5 I think) of Martha Stewart Stencil Brushes. I DO NOT recommend purchasing the MS Stencil Brushes at home depot. Those are lame. Always use an almost dry brush, meaning dip then brush the paint off on a cloth, and dont get too confident with it. You will fail.

2. Aluminum Foil (and ziploc bags) are your best friends.

I don't know how i would have survived without these two. I used the paint can lid, lined with foil to carry the paint in (rather than dipping into the tin). Cover the rest of the paint with foil of course. Sometimes you gather particles of dirt onto your stencil brush and you dont want to contaminate your whole can of paint.

Home Depot has been short on the paint sticks as well so I also use the foil and wrap it around the paint stick for re-mixing.

The ziploc to keep the paint from drying and damaging some brushes while stenciling.

 3. Thumb Tack Corners!

I saved this one for last because this is the one i wasn't able to find an answer to on the web. 

DUH! Seems like common sense, and it may be but this was a brilliant idea by my husband. Many suggested I use stencil paper and create a different one stencil for the edge. I also read to bend it, which did not work at all. I bent the stencil and taped it with Scotch Blue painting tape and that drove me to the edge (stencil kept falling off). I didn't want to use spray adhesive as I do not want to inhale the chemicals and I didnt want to have sticky, tinted walls. I got to the point where I almost broke down and chopped the stencil in half with scissors! Glad I didnt!

Get yourself a box of thumb tacks! Use one in the middle or one on each edge. It works like a charm! I used it along with the tape for security and I finally finished it!

I hope you find this to be helpful!