5 Quick Tips To Stencil Furniture Like A Pro (Plus, My Favorite Furniture Stenciling Kit)

Have you ever seen beautifully stenciled furniture in a store and fallen in love with it, only to find that it costs hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars?

I sure have.

When I was designing my oldest daughter’s nursery (before I got hooked on DIY), I fell in love with this gorgeous stenciled dresser. But shocker, it was way too much money to justify purchasing it.

I thought to myself that must have taken someone forever to do by hand, so that must be why it costs so much.

Fast forward to now, with countless stenciling projects under my belt, and it finally dawned on me that a stenciled furniture piece could absolutely be DIY’d.

So when my in-laws said they had an old cabinet in their basement that I could have for a space I was re-designing, I was totally on board.

5 QUICK TIPS TO STENCIL FURNITURE LIKE A PRO (PLUS, MY FAVORITE FURNITURE STENCILING KIT)

Once I saw this cabinet, I knew it needed to be brought to life. It was a little on the plain side, so I figured a furniture stenciling kit would do it some good!

I went to my favorite stencil shop, Cutting Edge Stencils, and started browsing their kits. I had several floor stencils and wall stencils from their site, but I had never stenciled furniture before.

I fell in love with the Asha Bone Inlay Furniture Stenciling Kit, and it was time to get to work.

TIP 1: GET THE RIGHT SUPPLIES

Not all stencils are created equal, and not any brush will do. Make sure you get the supplies that you need!

Here’s what I used…

• Asha Bone Inlay Furniture Stenciling Kit
• Stencil Brushes
• Paint (I used Bit of Sugar by Behr for my base, then Gatherings by Magnolia for the stencil)
• Painters Tape
• Level

TIP 2: HAVE A PLAN (BUT NOT REALLY)

Once you have your supplies, it’s time to make a plan… kind of. Here’s the thing – if you let your piece evolve as you go, you might end up with something better than what’s in your mind!

Start by cleaning your furniture and letting it dry. While it’s drying, start to lay out your stencils and think through the different options.

I suggest noting a few particular places where you want a certain stencil to go. Use those as your starting points.

While your brain is running with all the furniture stenciling possibilities, give your piece of furniture a good base coat.

I did a white base coat so the stencil could pop.

Once that’s dry, get started with your stenciling, and again, have a plan to get yourself started, then allow your design to evolve as you see the stenciled pattern on your piece!

TIP 3: A TINY AMOUNT OF PAINT GOES A LONG WAY

The biggest tip I share when it comes to stenciling anything is to use as little paint as possible. Truly.

Use painters tape to secure your stencil to your piece, make sure it’s level with the ground, then grab your stencil brushes and paint.

Barely dip your stencil brush in your paint. You’ll think the amount is too small, but it’s not.

Then using an up and down motion, dab your stencil brush on your stencil and continue until your stencil is finished. A light coat will ensure the paint doesn’t bleed under the stencil.

Slowly remove your stencil, and move on to the next.

TIP 4: GIVE IT SOME SPACE

As you’re moving on, make it a point to leave some white space! It can be tempting to stencil every square inch of your piece, but by leaving space here and there, it allows the pattern that’s on there to pop.

You can always go back and add more if you want to later!

TIP 5: KEEP IT LEVEL

This is a biggie. With furniture stenciling, it can be easy to just tape up your stencils, eyeball them, and get to work.

But furniture stenciling isn’t as forgiving if your stencils are off-center or not level!

Just grab a level and double check your stencils as you tape them up. Such a simple step to ensure your furniture will turn out beautifully!

GET TO STENCILING

So what do you think? Will you try to re-create your favorite stenciled furniture piece for way less?

Let me know in the comments!