I haven’t done a DIY in a while, mainly because its winter and if I paint anything I can’t escape the fumes — so I’m sharing a stencil painting project that I did a while back.

I had a big space above my bed to fill and after a few weeks of looking around I came across an ornate white blackboard for about $20 — I liked the frame a lot, but hated the blackboard. For its size the frame was very cheap — google large, ornate frames and you’ll be surprised by how expensive they are. So I snatched this one up quickly and let it sit for months. I don’t have an original photo of the frame because this is from my pre-blog days, but it looked exactly like this.

Next came the need to figure out what I wanted to put in the frame — I wanted to avoid anything trendy (like a monogram or catchy phrase) because I wanted to still like and use this piece for a long time. I finally decided on flowers because they are timeless, but didn’t trust myself to paint them free hand. If you lack drawing experience with paint don’t panic – because all you need are stencils! That is the secret of what made this project turn out so well I think. Here’s how I did it:

Stencil Painting Materials

• Large chalkboard frame
• Painters Tape
• Stencils — I bought mine from DecoArt. They have a beautiful selection and are very affordable.
• Paint — I knew I didn’t need that much paint, so to save money I went to Home Depot and bought a  $3 sample size jar of Behr wall paint in Bleached Denim (ugly name, but a pretty color). I needed a good quality paint because the chalkboard surface was very shiny and almost slippery, so the paint needed to be strong to stick.
• Paint roller and brush — The roller was used for the background color, while the brush was used for the stenciling.

Directions:

1. Tape off all the edges of the frame so when your painting you don’t get paint everywhere.
2. Use the paint roller going from the center out and apply your background color. You will need to use the brush for the outer edges since the roller won’t fit it perfectly.
3. After the background color has dried, you will place your stencil where you desire and then secure it with blue painter’s tape.
4. Using the paint brush, dab on the white paint until you create the design of your choice.

Here is the final product — it still hangs above our bed and provides a nice focal point for the room. It’s the easiest project for just under $30!