diy stenciled grasscloth wallpaper

i have been coveting the phillip jeffries chain link printed grasscloth from the voyage collection for...like, ever. 

i wanted to use it somewhere in my house, but came across a few issues:

1. this stuff is EXPEN$IVE! dang.

2. there is a 2 roll minimum, which is way more than i would need for my mini space.

SO---i decided to make my own knock-off phillip jeffries printed grasscloth.

i am thrilled with the way this project turned out---and you will be happy to know that it is a totally easy, do-able diy project. 

no lie.

before:

remember what i started with?

and here is the preliminary design plan:

as you might remember, i was trying to decide what to do with this little vestibule which leads to the master suite and the powder room. i so appreciate all of the votes on which wallpaper i should choose! i decided to opt for the stenciled grasscloth to save some money, since i already had a grasscloth remnant but i was VERY afraid that i was going to ruin it. honestly, i should not have worried so much. with a few basic pointers, it is an easy project to duplicate.

after:

want to tackle a similar project yourself?

here is what you will need:

(spray mount is also helpful for this project! it helps to keep the stencil in place.)

some more info:

* i scored my phillip jeffries grasscloth remnant on ebay for about $60, including shipping, but you could probably find some for less.

* the martha stewart metallic paint in "golden pearl" was the prefect opacity and color for this project! i like how it glimmers just a bit and has a slightly uneven look, plus it was a little more forgiving than a more "solid" color.

*i used the "modern chain link stencil" from stencil boss. 

how i did it:

first, i figured out how much paper i needed for the single wall that i was going to stencil. (i opted to only stencil one wall of my little space. the other walls each had a door or opening in them, and i figured it wasn't worth the hassle of having the pattern interrupted. plus, it was much easier to install!) i measured, and added 1/4" to each side and 3" to the length just to make sure i had enough. i used scissors to cut the paper. 

once i had the paper cut to size, i laid it down and taped the pieces together from the underside to keep them from shifting. (i kept the factory edges together to make sure my seam was straight and crisp--so, the pieces that i cut with the scissors are on the very outside.)

*i also placed a plastic drop cloth underneath everything to keep paint off my floors.

 i sprayed the back of my stencil with spray adhesive, and centered it on the grasscloth, making sure it was even on both sides. i thought that stenciling the grasscloth on the floor was MUCH easier than doing it on the wall, but if your grasscloth is already up, or you would rather hang it first, and then stencil, that would work too. (it is just hard to get in the corners and top/bottom without seriously cutting the stencil. you can read about my other experience with all over stencils here.)

 i dipped a small foam roller into my paint, and then rolled it on a cloth rag. this is a very important step! it helps to evenly distribute the paint and removes any excess which can get under your stencil and ruin the pattern.

 
using moderate pressure, i rolled over the top of the stencil. since grasscloth is an uneven and rather porous surface, it absorbs quite a bit of paint and took several passes to get an even distribution of paint.

 keep moving the stencil, being careful to keep it lined up with the previously stenciled area.
i found that by the time i was done with each section, the stencil was dry enough to move on to the next section, but i kept some paper under it (the paper lining that came with the stencil) under it until i was certain i had it in the correct place.

 the only time i that i thought the stencil started to look sloppy was when i was pushing too hard.
(see the area on the middle bottom?) two light coats is better than one heavy one!

the finished product, ready to hang. 

* i will be posting about my experiences with actually hanging the grasscloth soon.

here is the AFTER again!

 

i used spray mount, duct tape and an exacto blade to cover the switch plate. a super easy project---very similar to wrapping a present!

 
some matching paint (dabbed on with a small brush) helps to camouflage the screws.

i used some spray primer and the same matching paint to disguise the door bell chime.


WELL worth the time and effort! it blends in pretty well and lets the mirror and the wallpaper be the stars of this teeny space.

what do you think??

is this something that you would attempt in your own home?

do you think i made the right decision to just stencil one wall, or would you go ahead and stencil all of them?

my first stenciling project

all-over stencils are a great way to get a high end wallpaper look at a fraction of the cost of wallpaper. i personally love the way they look, and think they are a smart and budget conscious way to add that extra layer of pattern to a room. since i have been renting for the last 5 years, i haven't tackled a stencil project...until last weekend. i am considering another stencil project for one of my daughters rooms upstairs, but decided to test out my skills in my closet first. boy, and i am glad i did!

after an exhaustive search for the "perfect" stencil, i stumbled onto a site called stencil boss and ended up purchasing this one, called the "ada morocco" stencil.  this shop has a great selection, including many stencils that i have never seen before.

 i wanted something that was feminine without being frilly, and i loved the balance of geometric shapes and softness of this particular stencil.


i wanted the paint to be a soft gray, and also have some shimmer to it, so i added some gold craft paint to a few gray samples that i had around the house. by the way, the gold paint did absolutely NOTHING to the color. nada. zip. i looked into buying a metallic glaze from lowes, but it was nearly $14 and i decided i would see if the craft paint would give me that slight pearlescent look that i was after. the soft gray was nice, but there was NO metallic sheen to be seen....so, if you want that soft, shimmery look, you may want to NOT be a cheapskate and get the metallic glaze!


anyway, onto the stenciling---
what i thought would take 3 hours took NINE.
yes, nine.
and by the end, i was pretty exhausted and feeling very impressed with all of those other people out in blogland that have attempted this project.
now keep in mind that i was stenciling around all of the closet built-ins and shelving, which make the task quite a bit more difficult than it would have been on a flat wall....but still--it was not easy!


about half way through the project, i had to stop and wash off the stencil, which took nearly 45 minutes, and made a mess out of my kids tub. i was not prepared for how long it would take to get the paint off of the stencil, but really impressed with how well it held up to my scrubbing!


after the major work was done, i realized that i still needed to get the corners!
ei--yi--yi!
it was already 10 pm at this point, and i was getting grumpy.


instead of cutting or bending the stencil to get into the corners, i decided to tape them off and paint a charcoal band around the ceiling, at the corners of the walls and around the closets shelving.



all in all, i am reasonably happy with the way it came out.
would i RATHER have a great thibaut or schumacher wallpaper in there?
yeah. probably.
and maybe one day i will cover up my masterpiece with something that i fall in love with, but for now, i love the dimension and personality that the stencil adds! it makes it fun to get dressed every morning, and adds the perfect feminine touch to a space than many of us neglect to decorate.


(another  weird panoramic iphone picture. it was midnight and i guess i was having trouble keeping my hand straight!)

i will have some great finished pictures of this space coming later in the week, so stop back by!


what about you? 
have you tried an all-over stencil project in your house?
any tips for me, since i will most likely still attempt another stencil in my daughters room?

olive leaf stencils at joss + main

today, joss and main is featuring olive leaf stencils. they have a small selection available at good prices.

i just picked up this one:

it's called "nautical chain pattern"

i have NO idea what i will do with this stencil, but i have had my eye on it for a while,

and i know that i will use it for something...eventually.

if you miss out, you can always purchase the stencils directly from olive leaf website here.

here are a few others i really like:

 "geometric pattern"

 "ikat no2"

"noelle"