Capturing Themes in Stencil Art Prints

Most designers offer themed groups of stencils. Children’s themes are very popular and you can find a large variety of options. But you can also find many other room themes like for kitchens (such as food, fruit, wine, coffee or dishware) or regional themes like Tuscany and Parisian. You can also consider styles like Art Nouveau, Classical, Oriental, Country, Western, Tropical … When it comes to choosing stencil art your options seem to be unlimited.

Notice the prints above the armoire in the picture above. They are taken from the images painted on the cabinet door. This is a great way to carry out a theme in a room. If you’ve used stencils to embellish a piece of furniture, pillows or some other accent in the room, consider hanging some matching prints on the wall. These have a solid pale yellow background to make the images stand out and also to coordinate with the rooms color palette.

One of the best benefits of creating hanging stencil wall art to frame instead of painting the stencils on the wall is that you can always change the print. For instance, as a child grows up you can just put another picture in the frame instead of painting the walls.

You want a paper that has a smooth finish to allow the stencil to lay flat on the surface so that the edges of the painting will be clean and crisp. Also, you want a matte finish that will readily accept paint. Make sure it is heavyweight and thick so that the wet paint won’t cause the paper to bubble and stretch.

I would recommend Strathmore Windpower Bristol Pads (either the smooth or the vellum). This is what I use. Just a fun note about the Strathmore Windpower line of Artist Papers, they are made with 100% wind power – a pollution-free, renewable energy resource.

Well, that’s it for this episode of decorating with stencils. Tune in next week for some tips on using multiple stencils in one print.

Happy Stenciling!

Penny