Tips for Painting an Accent Wall with Stencils

Wallpaper, although often very beautiful, is often expensive and difficult to install on your own. It also often can’t be placed in high-moisture areas like bathrooms and kitchens, and it can be very difficult to remove. A more affordable and versatile alternative to wallpaper is stencils! With just one stencil, you can cover an entire wall space in just a few hours. 

Our repeatable pattern stencils are perfect for covering large areas such as walls and floors. With just a few affordable materials, you can create an accent wall for your home. Watch us paint this Halloween-themed ghost wall!

Materials:

• Pattern stencil
• Base paint color
• Secondary paint color (depending on your stencil you may have more)
• Paint roller and tray
• Painter’s tape
• Level
• Drop Cloth

Here’s a little video on how we did it:

Stencil used: Ghosts Pattern Stencil

Here are some tips on painting walls using repeatable pattern stencils:

Use a level for the first stencil

• The placement of the first stencil will determine the layout of the whole wall. Use painters tape to attach the level to the top of the stencil. This will help you make sure your design is straight. 

Use small amounts of paint at a time

• Make sure to thoroughly roll out your paint roller before starting. If there is too much paint on the roller, you will have paint bleed under your stencil. You can use paper towels or a drop cloth to “wring” out the roller before you paint. 

Press hard

• Your roller will not have very much paint on it, so it’s time to use some elbow grease! If you were planning on lifting weights after this, no need! Using less paint and pressing harder on your surface will result in crisper lines. 

Take time to match up your edges

• When using a repeatable stencil, it is important to match up your edges. Wait for your previous stenciling to dry before taping the next stencil on top of it. We recommend looking for the edges of each painted area, then matching up the continuing design on the stencil to continue the pattern. 

Don’t be afraid of touch-ups

• Even as professional stencillers, we make mistakes! Especially when it comes to patterned stencils. You can use a small brush to cover little areas of paint bleed, or where the pattern might not have been matched up correctly. Don’t worry, we do it too. 

Here is another video on how we painted a wall using a 2 layer stencil:

Stencil used: Western Cowboy Pattern Stencil