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Ready to spice up those less than fancy end tables in your home. It’s relatively easy to change a pair of end tables that are blah to something with more of a wow factor. All it takes is a little paint and a little know-how.

While you may be saying, ‘But I can’t draw a straight line. How am I going to be able to paint something?” we have the answer – stencils.

Stencils have been used for centuries as a way to make beautiful, and consistent designs in various forms of art. Here’s how to turn a piece of furniture into art in your home.

You Will Need:
Selected Stencils
Wood Stain (optional)
Acrylic Paints for Stenciling
Paint Brushes (large for larger paint strokes, smaller for details)
Masking or Paint Tape
Rags or Paper Towels
Acrylic Gloss Coat

If the end tables you are working on have not been finished or stained, you may want to stain them first, to give the wood an attractive background color. Generally this process consists of putting a coat of stain on, using a rag to rub it out to an even coat and then waiting a while for it to dry (at least 8 hours). Then you can move on with the stencil part of the project.

Stenciling

First you need to get to know your stencils. You will likely have one of two kinds of stencils. Either layered stencils, where each part of the overall design is split into separate stencils by the colors that they need to be painted, or singular stencils where all the elements are on one stencil. If you have a singular stencil you need to be sure to always be thinking before you put the paint down, so you don’t paint the wrong area.

1. Decide where your design will go and place the stencil on that spot. Use masking or paint tape to hold it in place.

2. Decide which brush will be the best for the piece you are going to paint and then start to paint in the stencil holes. It is important to not overdo this. Too much paint may leak under the edge of the stencil and make a mess of your design. Instead, take your time using light layers of paint. You should use a rag or paper towel to remove any excess paint from your brush before you put it on the stencil.

3. Move the stencil as needed to replicate design for the color you are using. You should not switch colors during the stenciling process. Paint all of one color first and then switch to the other colors and repeat the process.

4. Once you have finished your design, walk away and let it dry. Many people are tempted to keep touching it to see if it has dried yet, but this can cause your paint to smudge, ruining the beautiful work you just did.

5. Once it has dried you can put the end tables back to work in your home. If the stenciling you did is on the top of the end tables, you may want to take one more step which is to apply 1-2 layers of clear gloss coat, to protect your painting from scratches and dings as people move around and set things on the tables.

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