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What is stenciling

Stenciling is a fun type of decorative painting. By using a template made from stiff cardboard, mylar or heavy plastic and pushing paint through the template you can create the exact pattern every time. With a small amount of paint and a decorative stencil you can create beautiful designs.

Decorative stencils can be used to decorate walls, furniture, fabric, glass and even concrete. One of the main uses for stencils is home decorating. Using decorative stencils is a creative way to spruce up a drab bedroom or give some color to an otherwise boring kitchen. You can also use custom made lettering stencils to personalize your kids room. There are literally thousands of decorative stencil designs available. No matter what your hobby or interest you can find a stencil to match.

Stencilling is a fun hobby that doesn't require a lot of time or money and you don't have to be an experienced artist to get good results. You can start with a basic one layer stencil and work your way up to a stencil with multiple overlays or you might want to try a raised stencil.

Custom lettering stencils are a fun way to add a personalized touch to your decorative painting project. You can easily personalize your kids room or stencil a fun saying in your hallway entry. Custom stencils come in a variety of different sizes ranging from 1" to 4 ft. high. There's also a variety of different fonts to pick from, making your decorating ideas endless.

So where did stenciling start?

Stenciling is an art that has been around for hundreds of years. It gained popularity in England, Germany and America in the 18th century. Stencils have been used in homes to decorate floors, walls and furniture. Early American settlers to New England used stencils to decorate their walls because they couldn't afford imported wallpaper from their native country. If the family could afford it they would hire a traveling stencil painter to decorate their walls. For the families that couldn't afford such a luxury they did it themselves. Just as it is now, it was usually the women of the house that did the stenciling. Stenciling was the traditional method of decorating until the end of the 19th century. But, by the mid 20th century wallpaper had become a cheaper means of decorating walls and the traveling stencil painter was history.

However, stenciling started to make a come back by the 1970's as more people were tired of wallpaper and wanted something unique and different. Todays stencil templates offer a variety of different designs from decorative stencils in multiple overlays to custom designed decorative lettering stencils to raised stencils. There are stencils designs and motifs for every room in your home.

Start out by practicing with various of paints and brushes to see what you like best. What ever you decide, with the variety of different stencils, brushes, paints and techniques available your stencil will be your own unique creation. The most important part of stenciling is to be creative and have fun.

The Wildwood Cottage is a web site that provides tips and techniques, ideas and inspiration for unique art projects and crafts.

Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.

Pablo Picasso