Gingerbread architecture became very fashionable during the Victorian era and has continued to be so today on older as well as country homes. Achieve the same tasteful look with some stencils and paint.
Materials:
screen door
acrylic paints
stencils
foam stencil brushes of different sizes or foam squares
sandpaper
masking or painter's tape
craft paper for marking off designs
screen pieces for practicing
acrylic primer
toothpick
acrylic sealer
Steps:
- Begin by deciding on the piece to be decorated as well as color and design.
- If a door is chosen, it will probably be easier to work on if it is flat on a table. Wash the screen first.
- If necessary, mask off the screen to protect it from paint, then sand and paint the frame, adding two coats of desired color. If the frame is already painted and a new color is wanted, sand and/or strip the previous color, then apply new coats as desired.
- While the paint is drying, lay out the design (this is best done by taking the measurements of the screen and transferring them to a tabletop). To see how it will look, cut a piece of craft paper to the correct size, lay out the design, then stencil.
- Once happy with the design, practice stenciling first on some scrap pieces of screen.
- For the correct stenciling technique on screen, remember that "less is more." Very little paint is needed on the stencil brush as the screen will permit the paint to run more. Lay the stencil down where needed and then anchor with some painter's tape to keep it from slipping. Put a small amount on a throwaway plate. Dab into it with the stencil brush, tap off excess to the side and then practice stippling over the stencil and screen. Tip: If blobs are on the screen, simply poke through them with a toothpick before and after the paint dries.
- If unhappy with the design, wash off the paint before it dries using soap and water and a firm brush. Allow to dry before beginning again.
- If doing overlay stencils and using more than one color, let each dry completely before painting the overlap.
- Once satisfied with the design, spray the entire painted surface with clear acrylic sealer to keep it from running if it gets wet. Again, if the sealer sticks in-between the grid on the screen, poke out the holes with a toothpick.
)
