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Everyone always says that homemade gifts are the best kind, and no one appreciates our homemade gifts more than our moms! Surprise your mom this Mother’s Day with this beautiful placemat that looks fantastic as part of a centerpiece.

This is what you’ll need: Stencil1  11 x 11 Mum stencil, multi-surface paint, stencil brushes and a placemat.

Step 1: We loved the color of this placemat so we chose a color palette that would accentuate it. Start by placing the mum stencil on the center of the placemat.

Step 2: Use a stencil brush to begin stenciling the placemat. Remember to use a dry-brush technique. This means using very little paint and applying several layers.

Step 3: Lift the stencil carefully and allow the paint to dry.

Step 4: Continue stenciling the rest of the placemat but only fill in the stencil partly. We layered the stencil by overlapping it slightly at the bottom and we used a different color each time.

Step 5: Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you finish stenciling the placemat.

Step 6: Allow the paint to dry and send us a picture of what yours looks like @Stencil1.

Stenciling on glass always looks stunning! It’s particularly exciting because the final product is slightly different each time. Try using our Stencil1 Mum stencil, part of our new stencil line with Plaid, to give your candleholder a new look.

This is what you’ll need for this how-to: a candleholder, multi-surface paint, Mum Stencil1 stencil, low-tack spray adhesive and stencil brushes

Step 1:  Spray the adhesive on to the back of the stencil. You don’t have to use a lot of adhesive, just enough to secure the stencil to the glass so it doesn’t slip when you are painting.  Make sure your room is well ventilated and that you are by a window when spraying.

Step 2: Use the stencil brush to start stenciling the mum onto the glass. As always, use a dry brush technique (use very little paint and apply multiple coats). Stenciling on glass normally requires 3 to 4 coats, however we only did one coat so that you could see the candlelight through the paint.

Step 3: Lift the stencil and allow the paint to dry.

Step 4: Repeat steps 2 and 3 for each side of the candleholder, we used a different shade of green on each side.

Step 5: Once the paint is dry, light a candle, snap a picture and share your candleholders with us @stencil1

Cherry Blossom season is definitely one of the most beautiful times of the year. Cherry blossoms are inspiring for more than just their beauty. We love their color, delicacy and gracefulness.

For this how-to you’ll need: A natural wood slab, Folk-Art multi-surface paint, Stencil1 Plaid Cherry Blossom Tree stencil, stencil brushes

Step 1: Mix off-white paint with a tad of brown paint. Use a large stencil brush and a small amount of paint to create a base color. Paint with a circular motion until the entire surface is covered.

Step 2: Once the paint is dry, lay the stencil on the surface. Hold the stencil down using the hand you’re not painting with. First, paint in the branch. Use a small stencil brush and very little brown paint.

Step 3: Once the branch is done, stencil in the petals using a coral color. We mixed our own color using pink, orange and white. This gave us the opportunity to make some petals darker and others lighter. Stencil the small dots in the center of each flower white.

Step 4: Lift the stencil and allow the pain to dry. This piece would look great hanging on your wall or resting on a side table. You could also use nails to turn it into a key holder! Show us yours @Stencil1

We are constantly inspired by Brooklyn. From the street art to the people, there is always a taste of Brooklyn in our designs. While taking a walk, this texture caught my eye and inspired this how-to. This anchor would look great on a wall, door or even on propped against a mirror on your dresser.

This is what you’ll need: multi-surface paint, Stencil1 Swallow Set stencil, stencil brushes and an anchor shaped wood panel.

Step1: Use a stencil brush to give the anchor a coat of white paint. We used an off-white color and varied the amount of paint to give it more texture. We love the way brush marks look so we accentuated them by using more paint in certain areas. You don’t have to cover every inch of the anchor. An uneven coat looks cool and pushes the “aged” look.

Step 2: We really loved the coral that is fading off the wall. We didn’t have a color that matched so we mixed a version using white, pink and orange. Use more pink than orange if you want more of a pop. Once you mix your color and the white coat is dry, repeat step 1 using the coral. Again, don’t stress about even coverage and have some fun creating texture. We also used the coral to paint the edges of the wood panel.

Step 3: Once the paint dries, you’re ready to stencil! Lay the quatrefoil pattern stencil over the anchor. Since the anchor is flat, you can use your hand to hold the stencil down while you’re painting.

Step 4: We mixed a little bit of brown and off-white for the first coat of paint. Use a dry-brush technique (very little paint and multiple coats) and an up-and-down dabbing motion to stenciled the anchor. Again, don’t be too concerned about stenciling to perfection. You’ll be applying a couple of colors, so your first coat doesn’t have to fill in the stencil fully.  Once the paint dries, follow the same step using brown. Since this is a darker color, use the paint sparingly.

Step 5: Once the brown paint is dry, use a different brush to add some white. We wanted the white to mimic the bottom of the wall so we only painted sections of the stencil and did not blend it in much. Don’t be afraid to switch from brown to white until you find the perfect balance!  Lift off the stencil and allow the paint to dry.

Step 6: Move the stencil down to the second half of the anchor. Align the bottom part of your painted pattern to the stencil so you can continue the patter seamlessly.  Repeat steps 4 and 5.

Step 7: Lift the stencil and allow the paint to dry. Snap pictures of your anchors and tag @stencil1.

Finding the best way to store your things can be a little tricky sometimes. Especially because you want storage that does more than just hold things, you want storage that accentuates your space, something that is functional, but also great to look at! For this how-to we experimented with our new pattern stencils to make a beautiful box that is perfect for holding small objects and that looks stunning on any surface.

For this project you’ll need: A wooden box, FlokArt multi-surface paint, stencil brushes and Stencil1 Star Pattern stencil.

Step 1: Start by stenciling the top of the box. Place the stencil on the top. You can use a low-tack adhesive to secure the stencil but holding it with your hand would work best for this project. Use the stencil brush to begin stenciling the box. Remember to use a dry brush technique—use very little paint and apply multiple layers of paint.

Step 2: Continue stenciling the rest of the box by wrapping the stencil around it. We painted using a hombre technique by fading from yellow to orange. To do this, use less paint as you approach the middle of the box allowing the yellow to fade off and then switch to a different color. Again start with little paint and gradually increase the amount of paint you apply.

Step 3: Allow it to dry before you store something inside of it.  This box would be perfect for storing jewelry or paper clips and pins.

Share your boxes with us at Stencil1

We love converse shoes. They’re comfortable, look great and they are perfect for stenciling!  We gave our pair a special twist by stenciling one of our new patterns on it.

For this how-to you’ll need: A pair of Converse shoes, multi-surface paint, stencil brushes, and our Stencil1 Star Pattern stencil.

Step 1: Use a low-tack adhesive to secure the stencil to the shoe.

Step 2: We went for a very subtle look, so we used dark grey to stencil the pattern. Use the brush in an up-and-down motion to stencil. Remember stenciling is a dry brush technique so use very little paint and apply multiple layers.

Step 3: Lift the stencil off carefully. Once it’s completely dry stencil the other side and then repeat the same steps to stencil the other shoe.

Show us what your converse look like @Stencil1