ReadyMade: Instructions for everyday life

1. Prep your surface by repairing minor and major cracks with spackle; once dry, sand flat. Stencils produce clean and crisp designs on walls that are smooth.

2. Paint the walls with a fresh coat of either latex/acrylic or oil-based flat paint. Once dry, apply a tiny area of stencil paint. If your stencil paint does not stick well, lightly sand the area you will be stenciling with sandpaper.

3. Plan out and mark your design by placing the stencil where you would like the design to first appear. Be sure to start in the top left corner. Check it with your level to ensure it’s straight. Trace the triangular registration points—which are on all four corners of the stencil to ensure the repetition is neatly aligned—with a pencil and plan out your entire overall pattern.

4. Position stencil at your starting point. Secure it firmly in place using blue painter’s tape—two small pieces are usually sufficient for an average-size stencil.

5. Apply paint to your first stencil with a small, dense foam roller made for interior walls. Do not overload the roller with paint because it will cause blotchy designs. If paint begins to seep behind the stencil or if your designs do not have crisp, defined edges, it’s likely that you are using too much paint. It is far better to build up the color gradually, layer by layer, instead of swiping on one thick paint application. (You might want to practice on cardboard before you begin on your wall.)

6. It’s time to tile your stencil. Once you’ve finished painting the first design, carefully remove the stencil from the wall. Check the stencil on the side that was touching the wall for any excess paint and wipe dry. Align the registration marks to the right of where you started, then go row by row from there to create the pattern. (If the stencil will overlap onto wet painted areas, you may need to jump around.)
   
   Note: If your design pattern doesn’t equally tile on your surface, you can fill in these areas again using your registration marks and by bending the stencil around that edge or corner. Just paint in the area that touches the surface you are painting.

7. Clean up (so you can use your materials over and over) by laying your stencil flat to dry and wiping off any heavy paint with a slightly damp cloth. Wash all excess paint off the brushes with warm running water and soap. Dry the brushes thoroughly before reuse.

One important note: Stencil paints will adhere more readily to walls covered with flat paint than those with semigloss or gloss paint. In high-traffic areas, such as kitchens and bathrooms, a semigloss is acceptable.