Tuesday, August 9, 2011

80 Basement Progress: My Fairytale Room Part 2 and How to Stencil a Wall!

Oh my goodness.  I did it.  I stenciled a wall.  A whole wall.  Now I feel like I can do anything.  Seriously, someone grab me a bungee cord and find a bridge.  Or an airplane and a parachute.  Maybe some running shoes and the entire United States map.  Have you ever stenciled an entire wall?  I know some of you have.   And how did you feel when you were done?  Amazing right?  Such a hard feeling to explain.   So let’s let the pictures do most of the explaining!

Remember here, when I shared my story of our new fairytale room?  When I last left you, it looked like this:



A perfect blank slate.  

I also shared my plans to create some visual interest with this Zamira allover stencil I found through Cutting Edge Stencils:

{source}


First, I will say, we have NEVER stenciled a wall before.  So maybe we were a bit over ambitious…. that seems to be how we roll {literally} here.

When I got the stencil, it came with great instructions, which we did our best to follow to a T to make the entire process go smoother.   The first thing we noticed was the option to adhere the stencil to the wall with either painters tape or spray adhesive.  We weren’t thrilled about the idea of messing with sticky spray adhesive, so we started out with solely painters tape.  {Cutting Edge Stencils recommends Blue painters tape, all we had on hand was the green Frog tape, to me, same same}.



You will also notice that we also taped around the perimeter of the entire wall and used a stencil level.  This was to ensure that our stencil would be perfectly lined up across the large focal wall, and not become all wonky on us down the line.



For the color, since our trim is bright white, I just went with a straight non-tinted white flat paint from Glidden.  And to apply the paint, we used foam rollers and a small brush for the corners.


When it came to using the roller, we opted to use a paint tray, which allowed us to use very small amounts of paint, to the point that you could barely even see it on the roller itself.  We also kept a paper towel nearby for blotting off excess.


With the stencil all level and taped to the wall, I just started rolling!

 
Some things to notice.  Yes, I am wearing a jacket.  It’s always cool in our lower level even in the middle of July.  Why in the world do I look so tired?  We had just spent an entire day at the beach and put the kiddos to bed to work on the project…

After removing the stencil, things were looking pretty good!  And it was so easy to just line up and keep going!


Even though we did a test stencil on an old cardboard box, it still took us a couple of times getting used to the rolling/paint consistency.  There are a couple of areas that are a smidge lighter than others.  That is OK though.  A.  We will be adding furniture along most of the entire wall.  B.  I really like the non-perfectness of it all, gives it a chic look!


That's as far as we made it the first night.  I told you I was tired.  Plus, with all the setup and trying things out, it took us about an hour plus to get this far, so we were inching past 9:00 p.m. at this point.

The following evening, we were determined to finish up the wall.  We had a system in place, and attacked it again after the kiddos were down for sleep.

The other thing I want to mention is that the stencil itself is very flexible plastic, and it’s neat that you can just use a hairdryer to flatten it out a bit if it started to roll at all.  We did this only once throughout the whole process.



We also had some very minor seepage of paint behind the stencil the first night.  It was minimal, but I thought that maybe it would be best to give into the spray adhesive. 



We lightly sprayed the middle complicated cutout of the stencil, and still relied on the painters tape around the outer edges.  This definitely gave us a crisper edge when rolling on the stencil!



About an hour later….


Things were running quite smooth at this point.  The hubs and I would line up the stencil, I would put paint on the roller, he would roll, and we would peel off the stencil together and move to the next section.  We did our best to avoid placing the stencil directly over the wet paint.  Although the directions mention you can, we noticed that the painters tape would leave marks on the fresh paint.  Since the paint dried pretty quickly, we just worked back and forth between the driest areas.

We did most of the wall until we couldn’t avoid the corners and edges any longer.  We were a tad nervous for how those areas would go down, however, because the stencil is so flexible, it actually just wrapped around to the next wall or up onto the ceiling/down over the baseboard {all which were taped off}.


Here is where that small brush came into play.  We just used a paint brush from a craft store, with a slightly slanted edge.  It was perfect for getting into the edges and corners when the foam roller couldn't.


About four total hours later, we began removing tape!


There were a few spots where the paint had gone under the stencil or left "ugly" spots on the wall.  It was super easy to fix, I just used another craft brush with the original wall color to touch up any imperfections.


I will say, if you get up SUPER close and personal, you will see imperfections.  And being the super picky person I am, I thought I would be bothered, but they are so minimal, that I am not at all.  In fact, I was beyond pleased with how the whole thing turned out!  Especially when looking in from the doorway!

Ready to see the after pics?




I am IN LOVE.  Yep, totally madly in love.  It's absolutely fantastic!

I originally planned on doing the whole room, however,  I will say that one wall is enough for now.  For a beginner stenciler, it absolutely was a long, slow process and it wasn't the easiest thing we have done and I don't know that I would have succeeded with smiles if I hadn't had my husband there to help me along the way.  But come on!  It's better than wallpapering and a HUGE fraction of the cost, so all the hard work pays off BIG TIME in the end!

So what do you think?  Should I do the whole room?  I need a fantastic accent color in here, any suggestions for me?  Has anyone else been stenciling recently?  How did you feel upon finishing an entire wall?  Is there anyone out there who has been brave enough to take on a whole room?  Do tell!



Want to dive in and stencil something after seeing this post?  Well stay tuned because later today I am partnering up with Cutting Edge Stencils for a great giveaway!!

80 comments:

  1. I think it looks great just on one wall because on all the walls, it might look too busy. It kinda makes this wall stand out a little more! And I'm obsessed with yellow and gray so I think you should do yellow as an accent color!!!

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  2. It looks AH-MAZING, Jen!!! Wow! I'm in love too!! Great job! I don't think I have the patience for stenciling. LOL. I think some coral & turquoise pieces in this room would be great for accent colors! Again, great job!!!

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  3. I absolutely love your stenciled wall! Although I will say that I think if you did the whole room it would be over whelming. It makes for a terrific design to add other eye popping colors and textures to. I'm definitely inspired right now to go paint something!

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  4. Awesome stuff and I love that the hubs helped you do it! I am going to do one wall in our bedroom and this was a great tutorial so I know what to expect. :) I say you accent with the color of the year Honeysuckle! Which to me looks like a coral/orangey/pink color.

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  5. totally impressed! definitely worth the time and energy. it transforms that little room into fairytale.

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  6. The wall looks amazing! You've given me inspiration to try to stencil a wall. I think the one wall is a great accent. If you did more than one wall it might be too much.

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  7. It's gorgeous! Absolutely beautiful! I'd stick with just the one wall if I were you...

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  8. Totally amazing! I'm also a vote for leaving it as just one accent wall. Perhaps white picture frames or other white items of interest for the other wall. Very inspiring - thanks for sharing!

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  9. I absolutely LOVE this. I wouldn't do the whole room. I think it would be too busy. It's nice having 1 stenciled wall as an accent. What about yellow or turquoise as your accent color? Or hot pink? And I love that if you ever get tired of it it will be much easier to undo than wallpaper. Wallpaper removal is THE worst ever.

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  10. Woowwww. This is amazingly stunning. I have to check those stencils out. So much better than wallpaper and can I say it again...Stunning.

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  11. Oh my gosh! It looks amazing! I'm normally not one for stenciled walls, but the pattern works so well. I love it!

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  12. It looks absolutely fantastic! I love that you just did a feature wall! So inspiring!
    Jo-Anna

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  13. I love it! I have been thinking about doing a stencil in our guest room. What great inspiration!

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  14. Oh my goodness, Jen, that is amazing!!! I would have never considered doing something like that--you are such an inspiration!

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  15. O.M.G.! Jen you pulled it off again. I absolutely LOVE IT! I think I would keep it on just the one wall.

    This is exactly what I've been contemplating about doing to a wall on my dining room. Your stencil is almost identical to the iron in our buffet rack! WOW! Buy it from ya, ha!

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  16. i love the stencilling on the one wall. it looks amazing! great job for the first time! i'm inspired to stencil now... when we move into our new house this fall. :D

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  17. Ahhh it's stunningly gorgeous- and what a great alternative to wallpaper!

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  18. It is amazing! Y'all did such a great job!

    I think the one wall is good. I definitely would not do the whole room, especially with a busier pattern and pretty high contrasting colors.

    I think turquoise or maybe orange (oo! Orange!) would be good accent colors in this room!

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  19. I am new to your blog.. I am in love with it and if you check your stats, I am the weirdo stalking you from Alabama. :) I didn't have a pleasant stenciling experience. :( I am thinking my paint consistency wasn't that great. I should have tested it, but was too excited. How did you clean the adhesive and paint from your stencil afterwards?

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    1. They have a spray on paint remover that I used on mine, the one I used was made by goo gone, i sprayed it on and the latex paint peeled right off.

      cheri Morgan

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  20. Holy WOW! That looks so incredible. Your step by step makes it sound really doable.

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  21. I love the idea of a stenciled focal wall, so I say leave it to one wall. That way you can have more freedom with accessories :)

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  22. Gorgeous! I like it on one wall. Great focal point for the room!

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  23. I think it looks fantastic Jen! But I would suggest just leaving it to one wall, with a smaller space and with a pattern , it may look too busy in the end.

    Congrats on another success! =)

    Vanessa

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  24. BU-TEE-FUL!!!!! I love it!! I agree with you on one wall, It is more impacting that way!!!

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  25. It's beautiful! I'd personally go for just the one wall, because all the walls with such an intricate pattern could look like a little too much, plus it will help that one wall to really stand out. What are the floors in the room? Is it the same Allure vinyl you used in the laundry room or is it a real hardwood or wood laminate? We're buying a house that needs some TLC (on a budget), and we're considering the Allure vinyl flooring for our whole basement (which is just a family room and laundry room).

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  26. @Rachel: Great question! The stencil had to be washed a couple of times throughout the process as the paint started to build up on the edges, but it was super easy to clean with just water, the paint peeled right off of it. There are great instructions at the bottom of this page for cleaning the stencil, which we followed: http://www.cuttingedgestencils.com/basic-stenciling-instructions.html

    @Laura, yeppers, we did the Allure vinyl throughout the entire lower level. I still have to writeup a post on it, but I basically wanted one cohesive waterproof flooring, so it was the best choice for us. It's chilly underfoot, but we LOVE it anyway! :)

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  27. It looks beautiful....I think one wall looks great and maybe yellow, pink, or a nice teal would look good:) Great job!

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  28. WOW! That came out fabulous Jen! Seriously... love love love. It's an intricate stencil...I think that's why it's impact is huge!

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  29. GORGEOUS! I still don't know if I would ever try it, but the idea of doing it on one wall appeals to me. I think it would be fun in a small bathroom too.

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  30. Yay! It looks AMAZING!!!! I was actually checking out these stencils this morning. I think you have me sold.

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  31. Nicely done! I vote for leaving it on just one wall...and maybe a nice orangey color for accenting???? I'm wondering if our master bedroom would look good with stencil....

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  32. I am in LOVE! It’s absolutely stunning, Jen! The stencil is gorgeous. the colors are perfect together! As always, AH-MAZ-ING! Love it all!

    PS. I have a few questions, as I'm thinking of doing something similar in my daughter's room. was it easier to start stenciling from the middle of the wall vs. the top of the wall? did you spray the adhesive over the stencil, then apply the paint? or did you use the spray adhesive as a means to hold the stencil in place? Thanks so much for all the inspiration.

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  33. wow wow WOW!!! I love it!! It looks so awesome! I want to stencil our laundry room so after reading this I may just give it a whirl!

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  34. @Brandi, we decided to start in the middle where we knew a dresser would hide any first time mistakes {the directions recommend to start somewhere less obvious "just in case"}. I instinctively wanted to start on an edge, but the way the stencils are made, it's not necessary and my husband advised just working our way from the middle outward. I think no matter how you do it should work out great!

    As far as the spray adhesive, we sprayed the back of the stencil lightly over the intricate details, to attach it to the wall. It actually just peels off of the wall after you roll and only needs to be sprayed every couple of times.

    Hope that helps!

    xoxo,
    Jen

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  35. WOW! I am so inspired! This looks amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this, it totally helps me feel more confident in tackling projects like this that I always fear away from! Beautiful room!

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  36. Looks fantastic! I wish I could pull that off. :) I think it looks great on the one wall. I would be afraid of it getting too busy on all four. I say live with it as it is for now, and see how you feel in a few weeks. Great job, Jen!

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  37. LOVE it!! i'm about to use one of their stencils..trying to choose which one. I loved this one..and also the mermaid stencil. Can't wait to try it out! Thanks for sharing girl!

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  38. Great tutorial, thanks for taking the time to snap pictures and write up the process! I've pinned this page!

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  39. Looks great! What a lot of work, though. We painted strips in our sons room and that was a nightmare. Lol. I couldn't imagine doing a stencil. Good job!

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  40. I am in LOVE, too! The stencil looks amazing! You guys totally rock. :)

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  41. I love it! I'm so glad you showed a step-by-step as I had just ordered a stencil last night from the same place and I was a little worried about the spray adhesive!

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  42. I just finished stenciling my dining room wall with the lily scroll. It took me a good part of two days, and was not as easy as I thought it would be, but it looks good. It's the same color with a pearl paint added, so it's very subtle. I think your one wall looks great!

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  43. It looks awesome! I'm in love w/ the idea of stenciling just 1 wall. yours looks great. time consuming but so worth it I agree!

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  44. Oh WOW that looks amazing! Love it!

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  45. Jenn - The wall looks great! I'm impressed - I was warn out just thinking about it. hehe

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  46. LOVE just one accent wall! It sounds uber exhausting to do a whole room and the one wall really POPS! <3

    Though if you tackle the rest it will look great too =) you're my hero!

    xoXOxo
    Jenn @ Peas & Crayons

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  47. It looks fabulous, Jen! Way to go!!

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  48. that looks amazing!!!!!!!! i'm inspired to do this to one of my walls!!!!

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  49. This looks fantastic! I've used textured, paintable wallpaper but never stenciled an entire wall. Now I'm inspired. When I do stencil, or paint lines, etc, I have a little trick that I use to get really crisp edges. Paint over the stencil with the wall color (or background color) first and let it dry. Leave the stencil in place and paint it a second time with the color you actually want it to be. There is nearly ZERO bleeding and you end up with SUPER crisp lines. It adds an extra step, so it takes more time, but it's worth it for some projects -- smaller ones, perhaps. :-) Again, fab job!

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  50. your so amazing! thank you for posting this!

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  51. Awesome Jen!! It looks fantabulous!! Such a great job! I think you should just leave it as is - makes a nice twist to the normal "feature wall" you see aruond the place. Love it!

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  52. Awesome work, and great tutorial! I would definitely stop at just one wall. Like almost everyone else, I like the accent wall effect. Can't wait to see the rest of the space!

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  53. thanks a million, Jen. i really appreciate your answers to my questions. that helped a lot!

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  54. This is so awesome that I actually clicked on the link to take me out of Google Reader so I could comment. You should feel really loved. ; ) IT LOOKS AMAZING!

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  55. Looks great!!!! Bright purple might be a fun girly color to accent.

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  56. The wall looks amazing! I love it just being an accent wall. Great job!

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  57. Looks SO super FAB! Great job! :)

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  58. It looks great! What about a deep pink or teal as an accent color?

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  59. that looks awesome!!! i think orange would be a great accent to the gray. i am also loving the deep coral that i'm seeing a lot of on pinterest lately. it's like a not to girlie pink. since you have boys and all. i like just one wall. looks like there aren't any windows in here and i think four walls of this without windows to breakt it up would be a lot. but you make everything look great so i'm sure you'll do what's best!

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  60. That looks AMAZING!!! I absolutely love it. I would only do one wall because it would be a little overwhelming to me to have it on all the walls. I wouldn't personally find that much pattern surrounding me soothing, but you might so go for it if you really love it!

    I redid our bedroom in gray and yellow so I am partial to yellow as an accent, but I also love plum with gray so accents in purple (especially jewel tones) would look really rich and luxurious!

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  61. Awesome job! I want to try this in my entry! The look of wallpaper without the commitment!

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  62. I'd leave it as one wall. I love it as it is!

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  63. Wow! It looks SO GOOD! I've been thinking of stenciling a wall in our living room and I think I might give it a try after seeing this.

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  64. Beautiful! Looks like a lot of work, but it turned out great! I like it as just an accent wall...can't wait so see your finished space!

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  65. Hi Jen, I just stumbled upon your blog and absolutely LOVE everything about it! I am an organize person, but no where near this good! Thank you for sharing all of your ideas. I am actually using a few of them right now. I have three kids too and am have been wondering what to do with all of their papers from school. So this year, I am doing the filing boxes for them and hopefully I can keep up with all their stuff! I have a family binder already, but will be adding some of your ideas to it as well...like the meal planning. Thank you! Keep up the good work on your blog!

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  66. So glad to have found your blog. Love this idea. It turned out beautifully.

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  67. I can't get enough of stencils and yours turned out fabulously! Love it!

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  68. Love the wall! Only one wall is nice. The whole room could be a bit busy! I think accenting with yellow would help warm the room up at least visually since you said it is always cool down there. Beautiful job!

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  69. I absolutely love that you did a post on this. I have been dying to try it...yet very scared at the same time. In fact, I have contemplated just getting pretty wallpaper instead. To hear and see a real person having tried this out...and not just a decorator for a magazine, has definitely gotten me excited, and eager to experiment. Thanks for the pointers!!!

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  70. I just found this from Pinterest! I am thisss close to tacking a stenciled powder room and came to your blog for inspiration and an honest review. Your room looks GREAT!!! In fact, I'd get the same exact stencil but am still not sure my patience would make it :)

    Awesome job!!!

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  71. I've been pondering a stencil from the same company for a few weeks now (I stumbled upon them through Pinterest!). After seeing this, I'm going to take the plunge. I was worried about corners too and didn't understand why spray adhesive would be helpful -- thanks for being the guinea-pig so I don't have to re-invent the wheel. ;)

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  72. I love your accent wall. I recently featured in a post http://decoratingcents.blogspot.com/2011/10/trends-stencils.html. Feel free to come by and grab a button.

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  73. I just received a zebra stripe stencil, thanks for the tipson how to make it work the first time. I am very excited to see how it turns out.

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  74. This is a really nice way to spruce up the walls of a home on a budget. It is much easier than wall paper.

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  75. This looks great! I tried a very similar style in my sunroom recently. Check it out here: http://levees-lace.blogspot.com/2013/02/for-love-of-stenciling.html if you are interested! Thanks for the great tutorial.

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