How To Stencil A Wall and Add Floating Shelves

 

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Hello! It has been a while since I posted a painting tutorial for you on the blog and I am really excited to share my latest transformation with you! This is a project I have been wanting to do for the longest time. I have been slowly incorporating farmhouse style into my home and I love the look of cement tile, however, it can get really pricey so I thought I should try stenciling a wall in order to get it to look like cement tile.

Related Post: How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets

Alright! So here are the details for the stenciled wall.

Project: How To Stencil A Wall and Add Floating Shelves

Time: 1 Week

Difficulty: Advanced

Supplies:

• Emerald Interior Paint
• Minwax Water-Based Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner
• Minwax Wood Finish Walnut
• Purdy Ultra Finish Roller
• Premium XL Polyester Tight Spots Brush
• American Line Pro Mini Roller Tray
• HANDy Paint Pail Liners
• Contractor Series Black Foam Mini Rollers
• Purdy Standard Paint Tray & Liner
• Stencil (I used the Marbella stencil)
• Painter’s Tape
• Drill
• Screws
• Gloves
• Cotton Rag
• Paper Plate
• Wood Glue
• Level
• Nails
• Nail Gun (or hammer)
• Pressure clamps (we like this kit)

 

• Paint Colors:
• For the Wall – Snowbound SW 7004
• For the Pattern – Requisite Gray SW 7023

 

STEP 1:

Always make sure to prep the walls! Start by taking off fixtures, plate covers, remove furniture, and clean/wash the walls down.

STEP 2:

Paint your wall the color of your choice. I wanted to make mine look like cement tile so, I used a soft white.

STEP 3:

Once you paint the wall and let it dry, you need to find the exact center (this can be done by diagonally measuring the wall and seeing where the 2 lines intersect or you can do it by finding the vertical and horizontal centers and matching them up – whichever you prefer.)

Place the center of the stencil on the center of the wall and tape it with Painter’s tape. Use a level to make sure it is straight.

Use a foam roller to apply the paint. Once a thin and small amount of paint is on the roller, use a paper plate to remove any excess paint.

Then, apply to the stencil.

My two favorite shops are here and here. 

Using the guides on your stencil, continue to paint the pattern on the wall.

Tip: You will need to clean your tile several times during the process as your paint will accumulate and cause the stencil openings to become smaller. The BEST cleaner for stencils is this product called Lift Off. Make sure you have some on hand when doing this. 

Save the borders for last. Make sure your edges are protected with painter’s tape.

Take your time. When doing the borders, tape the stencil to the wall on one side. Let the part of the stencil that goes over the edge stand freely and then press down on the stencil with your fingers while you paint to get as close to the border as possible.

Continue this throughout the entire border. Finally, touch up any areas with a small artist brush.

Related: How to Stencil Linoleum Floors

STEP 4:

Here is a list of wood for the shelves. We built two.

• Three 8’ x 12” boards
• One 2” x 4” ripped in half (you can use two 2” x 2” if you don’t have a table saw)

You will need to cut them down to these measurements:

The image below shows all the cuts for one shelf.

 

A – 2” x 4” ripped in half, 9 ¼” length (3 pieces)

B – 2” x 4” ripped in half, 46” in length (1piece)

C – One 8’ x 12” cut in half (2 pieces for top and bottom)

D – One 8’ x 12” cut in half and 3 1/8” height (1piece for the front plate)

E – 11 3/16” x 1 ½” wide (2 pieces for the side plates) You will have 9 pieces total.

STEP 5:

Create your wall support. Join the 3 A pieces and the 1 B piece to make an “E”. Use wood glue and nails. You can use pressure clamps to keep them together while the wood glue dries.

 

 

STEP 6:

Build the shelf: Use pieces C, D, and E to make a box. Attach them like the picture below.

Again, use wood glue and nails for a good seal.

Sand the exterior of the shelf.

 

Then apply your stain with a cotton rag. We chose Walnut.

 

Let your stain dry and seal with your preferred sealer.

Apply with a brush and let set.

STEP 7:

Once everything is dry, attach your support to the wall. Find your desired height and make sure to line up the center of the shelf to the center of the “center” tile on the wall.

 

Use a level to make sure the wall is even. Screw your support to your wall studs.

 

Tip: Make sure to pre-drill holes for your screws so that the wood doesn’t split.

Slide the box over your support and drill screws from the top into the supports  so that they stay put.

Again, be sure to pre-drill the holes.

 

 

Here is what the finished product looks like:

Finally decorate your shelves and enjoy your new accent wall!

 

Now I want to go and stencil more walls! How about you? Tell me what you think about the final result!

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