Have you ever started on a project, got part of the way through it and decided that you wanted to go a completely different direction? This is that project for me. I bought these two tables for really great prices and thought I might fix them up and sell them for lots more than the price I paid. Today I am going to tell you about my Stenciled Tables, how I stencil and the outcome of said tables. They look nothing like they did when I bought them, that’s for sure.

My tables looked like this when I bought them. The square table was in good shape, but I’m not a huge fan of green in large doses, so I knew I wanted to paint it. The round table had been made over by someone else, but I really wasn’t a fan of the style. It also had a crack down the middle, which I didn’t understand in a refurbished table. It’s a style, just not my style.

The first thing I did was fill in the crack with some Elmer’s Stainable Wood Filler . I bought the natural color. I really like this product because you can paint and stain it. I filled in the crack, using my putty knife to remove the excess, allowed it to dry and then lightly sanded over the crack for a smooth finish.
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Next came the painting. I contacted DecorArt and they supplied me with this Deco Art Americana Chalky Finish Paint, Relic. I used just over 8 ounces for both tables. The stencil is called Mandala and measures 12 x 12 inches.

First, I painted both tables with two coats of the Chalky Finish paint. I have a few tips for you that will hopefully make your experience smoother.

1. Paint in the same direction as the grain of whatever you are painting. Keep painting in that direction or you will have lines in your project. (see the before picture of the round table)
2. Be sure to get the whole piece you are painting for a professional finish. That means the underside of your piece and all of the cracks. If your chosen brush doesn’t fit, as in the photo below, get a smaller brush.
3. Cover your work area with plastic or a tarp of some kind. This will allow you to paint with ease of mind and not worry about your work surface.  
4. Between coats of paint, put your brush in a plastic bag. I do this with paint rollers when I’m painting a large project as well. It saves time and mess.
5. Don’t panic if you make a mistake. It’s only paint and you can paint over it another color. Really, I’ve done this so many times.

This is the table with the crack after I repaired it and painted it. You can’t even tell there was a crack there!

Take your stencil out of the package and tape it down on your surface. Be sure to use tape that won’t peel up your paint. I used painters tape on this project. Masking tape works well too. Don’t use heavy tape.

Next, to add the paint. I started using a stencil brush, which is just a flat tipped paint brush like this set. The Artist’s Club Papillon Stencil Brush Set. It’s good to have a variety of sizes. When I started the stenciling, I thought I would just use one color for the whole stencil. That is what I started doing and then, about a third of the way through the first table, I changed my mind and went looking though my paint stash to see what struck my fancy. Ends up, it was 5 colors instead of one.

When you stencil, you don’t want to have too much paint on your brush. Dip your brush into the paint and then tap it in a different spot to remove some of the paint. Then you can dip your brush in that same place when you need more paint. Also, when you are adding your paint on the stencil, you just tap the area where you are adding the paint, as straight up and down as possible. Both of these things helps keep your paint as close to the stenciled area as possible. Since I used five different colors, I did all of one color, then all of the next, etc. When you are finished with the whole stencil, allow the paint to completely dry before you lift it off.

If you have some places where the paint has run, use a small, detailed paint brush to fix the spots, like these: Art Brush for Watercolor, Acrylic, Oil, Ink & Face Painting. Artist Brush, Set-11 Piece Detail Paint Brushes.

After your project is completely dry, you should cover it in something to protect your hard work. I use Deco Art Soft Touch Varnish and really love the way it makes my projects look. Apply at least two coats, applying the same direction as the paint you started with at the beginning.

Allow everything to dry completely before you place anything on top of the tables, for at least 48 hours. After I finished my tables, I fell so in love with them that I decided I would keep them and put them in my guest room as side tables. The furniture in that room is antique and belonged to my great grandma. The set doesn’t have matching side tables, but now there are coordinating tables. They actually compliment the room really well. Who knew that’s what I was painting?

What do you think? Is this something you would like to do? Do you think you could do it now following these instructions? What would you like to stencil in your home?

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