Skip the Wallpaper, Choose Stencils
Skip the Wallpaper, Choose Stencils
STORY BY VIRGINIA BESHEARS
What to do with the walls? This DIY might be your solution.
Creating faux wallpaper with a stencil and paint is drastically cheaper than wallpaper, and it’s completely customizable. You can even order custom stencils so you can cover your walls with absolutely any design you dream up, and still spend less than you would on wallpaper. If your interest is piqued, check out these fantastic ORC projects for inspiration.
PHOTO & CREDIT SIMPlIFY THE CHAOS
Sarah of Simplify the Chaos painted this absolutely lovely pattern on her laundry room walls with a gallon of paint and a couple of stencils. It’s especially cool how the stencil method allowed the walls and molding to be the exact same color without any of the hassle of color matching. She has a full tutorial here.
Natalia of Biscotto House got creative with this soccer themed room for her son and used a hexagon stencil on the accent wall to mirror a soccer ball. She made the stencil using a Cricut machine. She says that the design did require some touch up due to the orange peel texture on the wall. The extra work was well worth it for something so custom and perfect for the theme.
PHOTO & CREDIT BLOOM IN THE BLACK
Brianna of Bloom in the Black found the inspiration for her beautiful stenciled accent bedroom wall in a design on a sideboard. The two paint colors she chose pair so well together, and the finished product really gives the space some oomph. She has a full tutorial here.
PHOTO & CREDIT PROJECT 636
You can use stencils and paint on more than just your walls! This DIY is by Loralee of Project 636 from her ORC mudroom. She says the tile project took her about a week from start to finish, but that most of that time was just waiting for coats to dry. The finished tile looks gorgeous, and adding paint is obviously much easier and cheaper than ripping out tile and installing new.
PHOTO & CREDIT PINCH PLATE PARTY
You can also get some really fantastic faux wallpaper using methods other than stencils. Lauren of Pinch Plate Party made this amazing herringbone pattern by simply taping the wall in 5 inch increments and hand painting each line. The finished product has such a wonderful handmade and unique look that you can’t get from machine-made wallpaper.
PHOTO & CREDIT CACHET DEMAINE INTERIORS
My jaw genuinely dropped when I read that this feature wall from Cachet Demaine’s dining room ORC wasn’t wallpaper. She made this gorgeous pattern, inspired by a fabric she saw on a headboard, by making chalk lines on the wall as a guide and free-handing the details. The finished wall is stunning and gives the room a lovely backdrop.
PHOTO & CREDIT HOUSE OF MAYBE
This amazing feature wall by Évelyne of House of Maybe isn’t paint and stencils— she made this freehand with Sharpie. I know right? My mind was blown, too. If you trust yourself enough to go for this, the finished product looks very custom and unique, as you can see from her fantastic clouds.
GET STARTED WITH STENCILS…
