Furniture Painting and Decorating With Stencils!

I’ll bet you have a few things in your house that could benefit from a furniture painting makeover.

This is the place for great ideas on re-designing furniture with stencils and we even have the stencil designs for you (just scroll down). And don't miss the video near the bottom of the page.

Just think about it for a second. Have you been wondering what to do with that ratty old dresser that's been collecting dust in the garage? Do you have furniture in your house that you inherited and just can’t get rid of but can’t find a fit for them in your house? Are you thinking of getting rid of that old rocking chair because it just doesn't fit in with the new decor?

Why not save yourself the hassle of throwing things out and then having to spend money to replace them? Breathe some new life in those old pieces by re-designing them with a little paint and some fresh new stenciling ideas. If you think furniture painting might be the solution you've been looking for, but have never done it, here are some tips to help you get started.

In the picture above, I added a wine motif to this two drawer dresser which could be used as a buffet or side table. The stencils are only used on the top drawer in the center. This creates a classic feel that would fit well in a formal room with a traditional theme. P.S. Click on the picture for more details on this furniture painting project!

This TV Cabinet was born from old kitchen cabinets I rescued from a neighbors garbage.  It's easy work using cabinets to create furniture and Stenciling Furniture can make them a custom fit to your favorites spaces.

Using stencils while furniture painting is a great way to decorate! Custom hand painted furniture adds an exclusive feel to any room whether it’s a formal living area or a child’s room. Stencils can be applied to parts of the furniture as an accent or spread over the whole piece to create an entire scene. Look at these samples below for some ideas of what you could do. Make sure you scroll down to find out how you can get these stencil designs for your next decorating with stencils project.

Here's another example of furniture painting that uses Sea Stencils as accents only. The trunk has a scene using a Sea Gull Stencil on top and an underwater scene across the front creating a light, casual mood. This is a great piece for a porch, bathroom, child’s room, sun room or (if you’re lucky to live near the beach) any room.

The beauty of taking on a furniture painting project yourself is that you can match the theme of your space. And stencils help you get the images in place.

We went frog wild on this dresser and stenciled the little creatures all over. Four frog stencils were painted in different areas for a rain forest motif. The background was painted before the stencils and was simply done be using the stippling effect or pulling an artist brush through several different colors of green. Very easy to do! A great look for any room that begs to brings nature inside.

The most fun you can have furniture painting or actually with any form of decorative painting is preparing for a new arrival. Decorating a nursery is so much fun. You get to work with so many soothing colors and the stencils available for baby are so cute. With a nursery, you get to really choose a theme and build it up from there more than with any other room in the house.

This armoire was decorated with a scene using farm related stencils painted on the door. The frame of the door was given a faux wood grain finish. This was done by dipping a brush into a variety of tans and browns squeezed onto a palette. Then running the brush in long strokes along the frame and allowing the bristles of the brush to dispense the variety of browns creating a wood grain effect. The farm stencils on the door were placed so that the appearance is like looking out of a window and onto a farm yard.

Tips for Painting on Furniture So you have a piece of furniture you want to paint? And you want to personalize it with a stencil motif? There are a few things to consider before you begin your furniture painting project.

In what room will the furniture be placed? What is the theme for that room? What is the color scheme? Is it contemporary or traditional? Making some decisions are essential, since you need to design the furniture to suit the space it will occupy.

This old sea trunk was transformed from a 1960's pickled blue to this. Believe it or not, it's all paint and stencils so don't miss the details on this decorative painting project with before and after photos.

You probably already have a stencil design in mind since that is how most furniture painting projects usually get started. If not, then consider your theme while shopping. There is no shortage of stencil designs available to you so the real problem is just deciding on one.

Are you going to use a single layer or multiple-overlay stencil? If you're not sure or need more information, read this article on stencil patterns. There's a big difference between the silhouette produced with a single layer and a more hand painted look with a multiple overlay stencil.

Now, what colors are you going to use in your stencils? If you are painting the furniture before stenciling, then what color are you going to use for that? Choosing the right colors is essential to the success of your furniture painting project.

You need to consider the whole design to make sure that the colors of your stencils will blend perfectly with the color of the furniture. You also want to keep in mind the color scheme of the room that it will occupy.

For a great article on choosing the right colors, click here for a helpful stenciling technique. You'll also see how the wrong colors can ruin a decorative painting project. Plus, get some great tips on making your stencil colors look good on the background.

By the way, we are talking about furniture painting but just in case you are stenciling with stains on wood, you may want to watch a video at Stenciling Floors that has more information about this. For the article on the Stenciled Gate Leg Table click on the photo.

Once you have decided on the base paint color for your piece of furniture, the next thing you should know is that a flat paint is recommended. Most craft paints will pool or simply not adhere very well to a semi- or high-gloss paint.

If your piece is already painted and the stencil colors are not sticking, try using a fine sandpaper to take away the top layer of the gloss.

When the project is completed, you can put a coat of polyurethane or use a clear spray paint if you want a semi- or high-gloss protective finish. Read the instructions on any product you use and talk to the experts at the store where you buy these items. They can be a great source of help for your furniture painting project.

After you have painted the base color you should add any accents that belong to the background. For example, on the Frog Stencil Dresser above, the leaves and forest accents were painted before any stencils were used. Of course, when the stencils are finished you will want to add some finishing touches to pull it all together.

Oh yeah! Before you put paint on a piece of furniture there is something else you need to consider. Painting something that may be considered an antique could ruin its value. If you have owned the piece for a while, you already know enough about its history. However, if you want to paint something you picked up from an auction or a yard sale, you might want to do some research. Just to be safe.

Small stools like this always come in handy and this was a very easy furniture painting makeover with spray paint stencils and a simple fleur de lis!

Furniture painting is a great hobby that is fun and easy with stencils. Best of all you can create custom accents for your home. What better way to decorate than with your own creativity. So use your imagination along with these stenciling ideas and create some Great Works of Art!

We are thrilled to introduce these downloadable and Printable Stencils.

Instant gratification at its finest! You don't need a special printer - these designs are specially formatted to print straight from your home computer on standard letter sized paper. Once downloaded, you will have your complete stencil booklet with patterns and instructions. Just click, buy and print!

Below is a small sample of the design books that we offer. These are the stencils used as examples of furniture painting above. Each book will come to you as a down-loadable pdf file in your e-mail. Just check your e-mail after purchase for the link to connect to your file and print or save. It's that easy!

Click on any Book Cover Image for Project Ideas.

All designs can be adjusted to fit your project size. Instructions are included. Pages are 8.5” x 11”.

If you'd rather get your Stencil Books in Print, just click the blue button below each book.

Fleur de lis: Book of Stencils

This collection includes 22 designs. Ten are easy single overlay. Six have 2 overlays and six have 3 overlays.

This purchase is of a PDF file which has 63 pages.

Price: $9.95

To get this Book in Print for just $19.95 click here:

Wine & Spirits: A Book of Stencils

This collection includes 4 designs- a Wine Glass, a Chianti Bottle, a Wine Bottle and a Bunch of Grapes with Leaves.

This purchase is of a PDF file with 31 pages.

Price: $9.95

To get this Book in Print for just $19.95 click here:

At the Seashore

Aaaahhhh...the lazy days of summer at the beach. This collection includes 6 designs- a Fish, a Crab, a Seagull, a Conch Shell, a Scallop Shell and a Seahorse.

This purchase is of a PDF file with 32 pages.

Price: $9.95

To get this Book in Print for just $19.95 click here:

Red-Eyed Tree Frogs

This book contains 4 cute Red-Eyed Tree Frogs for you to paint in your next project. Bring a little of the rain forest to your home. There are 37 pages in this pdf file which includes the stencils of all 4 frogs (each has 5 overlays) and complete instructions.

Price: $9.95

To get this Book in Print for just $19.95 click here:

On the Farm

With these stencils you can create the perfect barn yard setting for your little one. This collection includes 9 designs- a Cow, a Chicken, a Pig, a Sheep, a Lamb, a Horse, Fence, a Barn and a Tractor.

This purchase is of a PDF file with 40 pages.

Price: $9.95

To get this Book in Print for just $19.95 click here:

Old Fashioned Luggage Labels and Travel Posters

Paint some travel posters or decorate an old steamer trunk with these 15 designs. 5 are Hotel Advertisements, 5 are Transportation Ads and 5 are Destination Ads (like Paris and New York).

This purchase is of a PDF file with 102 pages.

Price: $9.95

To get this book in print for just $32.95 click here:

Oriental Designs: A Book of Stencils

This collection includes 16 designs- Chinese Dragon, Bamboo, Oriental Figure with Coolie Hat, Ying Yang Koi Stencils, Bonsai Tree Stencil and 3 Cranes plus 10 Chinese Symbols (Eternity, Friendship, Happiness, Harmony, Long Life, Peace, Prosperity, Tranquility, Truth and Dragon.

This purchase is of a PDF file with 40 pages.

Price: $9.95

To get this book in print for just $19.95 click here:

If you'd rather have your Stencil Pattern Books in Print (like these or the ones pictured above) then visit our Printer's Book Shop for a large variety of stencil collections. These books are easy to follow and come with complete instructions. You'll find all of the stencil designs used as samples throughout this site.

The stencil designs featured on this web site and used in the furniture painting projects above are courtesy of Designs From Penny.

Here's the video I promised you. You should pick up some ideas that can be applied to furniture painting and stenciling. Enjoy!

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