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Style Up Your Stairway

TIPical Mary Ellen : Episode TIP-1001 -- More Projects »
PHOTO
Decorative artist Jennifer Tostenson demonstrates how to accent your stairs with stencils.

Materials:

medium-grain sandpaper
tack cloth
decorative latex craft paints and primer
can of stencil adhesive
latex semigloss paint
quart of glaze
medium-angled paintbrushes
fleur-de-lis sponge stamp
diamond stencil or design of choice
low-tack painters' tape
small art paintbrushes
stencil sponge

Steps:


  1. Lightly sand the fronts of the stair casing with a medium-grain sandpaper. Wipe with a tack cloth.

  2. Tape off any areas you don't want to paint with low-tack painters' tape.

  3. Paint the sanded areas with a coat of primer.

  4. Once dry, paint on two coats of semigloss color, allowing the paint dry between each coat. If desired, alternate colors on every other step for a decorative touch.
PHOTO

Figure A
PHOTO

Figure B
PHOTO

Figure C
  • After paint dries, it's time to stencil. Spray the stencil with adhesive or use painters' tape and affix them to the painted fronts of the stair casing (figure A).

  • Pounce the design of the stencil with a stencil sponge (figure B) until desired color shows.

    *Tip: Always, stencil from the outside in. You can use different colors to bring in highlights and shading if desired.

  • Once stenciled (figure C), complete design with stamps.
    • PHOTO

    Figure D
    Designer Jennifer Tostenson used a fleur-de-lis stamp (figure D) to accent the stencil design.
    Also in this Episode
    TIPical Mary Ellen : Episode TIP-1001
    •Chicken Under a Brick
    •Style Up Your Stairway
    •Alternative Uses for Microwaves and Slow Cookers
    •Tip of the Day
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