Stenciled Laundry Room Decor in Four Simple Steps Using the Otomi Pattern
Good Morning, my DIY friends! Would it shock you if we said we think stencils are a fabulous way to incorporate color, pattern and personality into a space? Nah, we didn’t think so! Cutting Edge Stencils totally believes that the sky is the limit when it comes to stenciling. Today we are sharing an awesome story that shows how stenciled decor can transform a drab laundry room into something fab.
Meet Amy, the creative design enthusiast behind the blog Commona My House. Since her husband’s career requires them to move a lot, Amy is on the constant design quest to transform her new home. Her latest project was her tiny laundry room. She had three goals in updating this high traffic space, which included making it more functional, adding pops of pattern and bold color, and keeping the makeover costs down. Here is the space before the makeover:
Yikes! It’s a good thing this space was on the makeover list. The first thing she did was paint the beadboard on the right hand side, Urbane Bronze by Sherwin Williams. Next she decided to add some pattern. Amy selected our Otomi Allover Stencil because she felt the tribal pattern would infuse happiness into her dreary room. When approaching a DIY project, Amy tries to keep in mind the resale possibility down the road. Rather than stencil the wall, she chose to stencil wall art and a matching floor mat. They add color and pattern to the space but can easily be removed when the home needs to be put on the market. Let’s take a look at her new space:
Do you love this vibrant floor mat idea? We thought you would! We have the step-by-step, courtesy of Commona My House right below.
Here’s What You’ll Need:
- A stencil (for this project the Otomi Allover Stencil was used)
- Painter’s Canvas
- Hot glue gun
- Blue painters tape
- Paint
- Paper plate or painter tray
- Dense Foam Roller (<— We like this one)
- Stencil brush
- Modge Podge
- Paper Towel
Here are the Simple Steps for Creating a Laundry Room Floor Mat:
1. Gather Materials: Start the stencil project by gathering all of the materials listed above. Amy purchased a painter’s canvas for $5.99 at Home Depot. She cut the canvas in half, length wise to create a runner for her space. Then she used a hot a glue gun to run a bead of glue down the edge to create a seam.
2. Prepare the Canvas: Tape off a border using the blue painter’s tape. Paint the inside of the taped area using white paint similar to Benjamin Moore’s simply white OC-117.
3. Start Stenciling: Position the stencil design on the floor mat. We recommend using painter’s tape to secure the stencil in place. Pour your paint onto a plate or paint tray. Consider using Benjamin Moore’s peppermint leaf 2033-20 to get a similar look. Then using your stencil brush, dip it into the paint. Blot off the excess paint onto your folded paper towel until the brush looks almost dry. The key to stenciling is using as little paint as possible. Too much paint will cause the design to bleed and smudge. Next you will paint the design onto the floor mat with the stencil brush using a dry brush (stippling) technique. Stippling is when you tap the brush repeatedly over the stencil opening.
4. Finish the Mat: Allow the paint to dry a little and reposition the stencil so you can continue to paint the pattern on the entire floor mat. Then complete the floor mat by painting a border similar to the one below. She loved the free-form shape of the stencil and reinforced the handcrafted feel by free-handing the striped border. Be sure to let the paint dry for two hours. Once it’s complete and dry, take the tape off and cover it with three coats of Modge Podge to seal the runner. The Modge Podge coating will provide a sturdy yet waterproof sealant for the floor mat.
And there you have it folks. Now all you have to do is step back and admire your easy peasy, DIY stenciled floor mat!
Tell us: Where would you stencil this tribal design? Leave us a comment below!
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Thanks for reading, and happy stenciling!
Michelle and the Cutting Edge Stencils Crew