Trixi and Jon aimed to renovate their 1970s home on a shoestring — it’s the times, you know — and heck, doesn’t it make for a much better story to get all creative rather than just throw lots of money at the problem. In this story, I spotlight two readers who made hand-cut stencils — in atomic starburst patterns — and painted them onto their walls with bright gold paint. At first glance, most everyone thinks they used wallpaper — but no, they saved a lot of money with their homemade stencils instead. Read on for tips.
For her bathroom remodeling project, Trixi cut her own stencils to mimic the atomic pattern on her vintage bathroom light. She explains:
The template for the stencil was made out of solid plastic stencil sheets from Michaels Crafts. We just mimicked the pattern from our atomic bar light that’s in the bath, and used a finer tip artist knife to cut it out. I used gold acrylic fabric paint, which was very easy to clean-up if I had to step away for any length of time. If it dried onto the stencil tools, I just peeled it right off and kept going. It took the better part of a day to do the stenciling – but even that was fun!
In 2010, I also featured Karen’s $708 pink bathroom renovation — and she, too, created an affordable wall treatment with home-made stencils. Her starbursts are more diamond shaped and, I’d say, add height to the bathroom. Karen explained:
To make the starbursts all you have to have is an exacto knife, a stencil sheet, and a preferably metal ruler. Make a cross the size you want the height and width of the finished star. The vertical line should be somewhat longer (about 1?-2?) than the horizontal line. Then take your ruler touching the top point, move it out about a 1/2 inch or so (I just eyeballed it as to how thick to make the stars) on the intersecting line. Do the same on all the points using the same mearsurement. Then make an X between the cross. Make these lines the same length all the way around. Then repeat this step except move your ruler out a little less: Take your ruler touching the top point, move it out about a 1/4 inch or so. Do the same on all the points. The vertical/horizontal cross should be the same thickness and the X should be the same thickness. Then just use the exacto to cut the lines. That’s about it. It’s really super easy. If you are unsure just practice on a plain piece of paper until you get it right. This design is so simple because it is all straight lines, no curves, which are more difficult. I hope this is easy to visualize. -Karen
She adds:
I just did 3 on a page and rotated the page upside down on every other one I would do.
April 2012: Jim and Kathleen used this stencil design, too, in the 1960 pink bathroom. They used metallic silver paint for the starbursts… and even outlined the bath/tub shower surround in metallic paint, too. Looks great!
In the comments on that story, my friend Denise — who also is an active commenter — and moreover, is a decorative painter, provided tips for doing your own stencilling:;
Getting a crisp edge definitely is about not over loading your tool and not working with a heavy hand. The point is to not drag your tool from the open space over the edge, if the edge is lifted even the slightest bit it will catch the paint, lay back down, and create a rough edge. Practice on a painted board to get the feel of the right amount of paint on your tool and how light or heavy handed you should go.
These are tools often used for painting a stencil:
First you want to spray the back of your stencil with stencil adhesive, I use a spray glue but be careful if you do as it can be too sticky and leave a glue residue.
Stencil brush — dab into a little paint or glaze, swirl a lot of it off onto toweling, apply by swirling onto stencil with a medium hand, working from the stencil edge into the cut space.
Cosmetic sponge — dab into paint, dab off on toweling, dab onto cut out area working your way to the edges.
Roller Sponge — roll into paint, roll off on toweling, roll without much pressure over cut space of stencil, rolling in different directions. Do not press hard, it will squeeze out of roller and go under stencil.
I also like to use a worn out smallish brush especially if you have a tight or narrow stencil. Apply some paint, swirl off onto toweling a bit and then brush from the stencil edge into the cut open space, this gives a little bit of a cross hatch when looked at up close rather than a mottled look that the swirling in the stencil cut will give you.
You can also stipple into the cut out space with a flat bottom stencil brush but this is more time consuming.
Hope this helps!!
Karen said that she bought the stencil paper and paint at Hobby Lobby.
Happy stencilling!
Ann-Marie Meyers says
OMG! My daughter started peeling the brown imitation grass cloth wallpaper back in our main bathroom (of course I am not up in Wisconsin to stop her!) and found….wait for it….
…starburst wallpaper!!
The previous owner of our house never even bothered to remove it before she re-wallpapered.
I made good old Mustang Sally stop peeling until I get back up there in the spring, just in case there us a nasty surprise there somewhere, but even if we have a few good panels we can work with it.
pam kueber says
well hey!
veg-o-matic says
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’m definitely going to be doing this in our pink bathroom!
puddletown cheryl says
Another trick to keep the edges clean is first paint on a clear acrylic paint, let it dry and that way if anything bleeds it will be the clear coat. Make sure the sheen of the clear coat matches the sheen of your paint.
Meghan says
I am thinking of using this in my tiny, weird shaped upstairs half-bath. I had been looking at “atomic” wallpaper, but I was worried that papering that room would be penitential and probably mean some sort of back injury. This looks like a much better idea.
Karen says
I am really excited about this post because it’s something I can actually do myself for very little $$! Thanks to Nancy for providing the perfect template. I am going to get started on this project ASAP in my pink and gray bathroom.
Rachael~The Thrifty Picker says
thanks for the share, nancy! i pinned it 🙂
Tami says
My mom’s an expert stenciller and she swears the secrets to crisp detail edges are using the broad, flat stencil brushes and having very little paint on them. As Denise advises above, use a light to medium hand with more dabbing than swirling to avoid forcing paint under the mylar. Acrylic paints dry really quickly so you can put down several coats if needed.
BTW, these bathrooms are incredible fun. Good work!
Wendy M. says
This is on my to-do list once I strip the wallpaper in our upstairs bathroom. Thanks for all the tips…I will certainly use them!
Wink says
I stripped the wallpaper in my (pink!) bathroom only do discover that the original knockdown texture was badly damaged. I either re-texture the wall, or re-wallpaper. Sigh.
Wink says
TO. TO discover.
michelle says
We took wallpaper off in our hallway and there was some wall damage. We used wall stickers to distract, a mod oval design. Everyone thinks they are painted on…
JKaye says
What is good in both bathrooms is that the stars are of a size that really makes some impact.
(Oh, and look Pam, your knotty pine wallpaper on the site has stars in the knots! Cool!)
pam kueber says
Yes, great point, JKaye: Go big with the stencilled stars!
hannah says
Wonderful idea! I did take note of it when you featured Jon and Trixie’s house – but now I’m seriously considering doing it.