Conference 7.286::home_work

    	I don't have any sources for what you want but am interested
    in the subject of stenciling.  Is it a difficult thing to do?  How
    time consuming is it?  Are there many people out there that have
    done it?  Is it worth it?  I have a couple of plain pastel rooms
    for my two small sons and might like to try this.
    
    						Jorge'

    I have had good luck finding templates at Ralph Jordan's Textiles
    in Acton on Great Road (Rt 2A).  They have one of the largest
    collections of stencils and stencil books/magazines that I have
    found in this area.  There is a line of stencil templates that Ralph's
    carries that are made in New Ipswich, NH. (just over the border
    near Fitchburg).  You could get their name and call them to see
    what they have in a Victorian stencil.
    
    I have a colonial with high ceilings and have done a bit of stencilling
    in it.  As long as you are patient, it is an easy task and goes
    fairly quickly.  DO NOT choose a busy stencil as this will drive
    you crazy when it comes to painting it.  I found that tracing the
    repeating pattern on the wall first and then painting it freehand
    was much more successful than using the blot technique.
    
    If you do find Victorian stencils, please post an entry of there
    whereabouts.

    RE: 317.1
    
    I just finished my first stenciling job--and am very pleased with
    the results.  Before attempting the complicated Victorian style,
    I decided to 'practice' with a simple vine and flower patter on
    my kitchen walls.  
    
    I found a good selection of Blue Lazer (brand name) stencils at 
    Sturbridge.  I bought acrylic paints at the local art store, and
    a stencil brush from Sturbridge.  It was so easy!  I just mixed
    up the appropriate color (I wanted to 'gray' the bright colors)
    using no water (or very very little water), dipped the brush in,
    wiped the ends of the brush on newspaper first, and stenciled!
    I used four colors: green vines, and rose, blue, and gold flowers,
    and stenciled the entire room in one color before going to another
    color.  Because my ceilings are so high, the hardest part was climbing
    up and down the ladder!  It took me two evenings to do the entire
    job--and it looks great.  Its really a very economical way to decorate!
    
    Incidently, the art supply store I went to sells stenciling paints 
    for about $3.80 for a little jar.  The acrylic paints cost varies depending
    on the color; I paid between $2.50 and $3.70 for a BIG tube, and
    used only about 1/10 of the tube so I have lots left over for other jobs!
    
    Because the kitchen came out so well and I found stenciling so easy, I
    am now eager to try my luck with the more elaborate 
    multi-colored Victorian patterns.    

    
    We (read my wife with my help - a little) have stenciled many things,
    soon the kitchen and bedrooms.  We have found that brushes can leave
    undesireable marks, where a cloth works much better (often has a
    lot to do with the stencil size).  On top of that we have found
    that the little makeup sponges sold at CVS and the like, that are
    shaped in little wedges works about the best of all.
    
    Get a few pieces of scrap wood and give it a try.  (.3) describes
    it quite well.
    
    						.dave.

    For those of you lucky enough to have original stenciling in your
    house that you are trying to restore or are like me and using authentic
    patterns in an old house, I just picked up some great information.
    The Society For the Preservation of New England Antiquities (in
    Boston - phone 227-3956) owns Moses Eaton's original stencils. 
    Moses Eaton is one of the best known itinerant stencilers in the
    New England area (late 1700's to about 1820).  
    
    Anyway, they have photographed and numbered his stencils and if
    you ask them they will send you a collective photo of these stencils.
    Pick out the ones you would like and for about $2 each (prices vary)
    they will send you a full sized photocopy of the stencil.  From
    there you can trace and make your own on mylar.
    
    If you're like me and really get into authentic restorations or
    just love the look of the old stuff (there's the willow tree,
    pineapple, FABULOUS oak leaf friezes, etc. etc.) you won't be
    disappointed.  It does take them a few weeks to mail though so be
    patient.
    
    Also.... Does anyone have any information on classes given (through
    museums, etc.) that teach you the techniques of painting primitive
    wall murals (i.e., Rufus Porter style)?  I'm going crazy with the
    paint brush!!!
    
    Thanks
    
    

    	Did he do stencils for furniture as well as walls.
    I might be able to find out about mural classes,I'll
    let you know.

    Moses was strictly walls but I'm interested in any type of traditional
    stenciling class.  Furniture would be good too.
    
    Thanks
    

    I wish to change my dining room.  The problem I have is do I stencil
    or do I border the room, both which will take a lot of time and
    effort.  My dining room currently has a chair rail painted white
    with white paint below it (the room also has a white carpet ...
    why someone would put it in their dining room is beyond me).  
    Above the chair rail is wallpaper, the flocked kind.  Needless
    to say that is not my husband's or my taste.  So we have decided
    to change it.
    
    One problem, I am sure we will run into is the walls under the
    paper are not prepared at all.  When we repapered the bathroom,
    the walls needed a lot of work!!!!!  The original wallpaper was
    heavy enough to cover all the garbage on the walls, thus when the
    house was built no care was taken with the walls.  (We own a prefab,
    built between 10 - 13 years ago).
    
    I know the preparing of the walls will take time but any hints on
    stenciling or bordering would be great.  Let me know what you did
    and any problems you ran into.  We still have not decided on exactly
    what we are going to do.
    
    Tammy
    

       I just finished stenciling my dining-room and bedroom. I thought
    it was rather easy, but then again I stenciled over fresh sheetrock.
    I also put up a boarder chairrail in the livingroom and it cost
    almost as much as the top and bottom wallpaper! The cost of the
    stencil and paint was ~ $15.00. Stenciling is a breeze.... I used
    a sponge as apposed to a brush. It took me ~ 4 hours to do the D/R
    and 2 hrs for the B/R and that was using a two color pattern.
                                                                   
                                                          /BB

	I just redid my bedroom.  I stripped off the old wallpaper
	and had to patch the horsehair plaster, then prime it with
	wall hide.  Then I painted.  It looks nice.  I went with the
	border rather than stenciling because it was less 
	time-consuming.   Just wet the strips, put them up, and smooth
	them out.   I'm very pleased with the results.  It only took
	1 1/2 hours to put up the border.  I have a 15' by 17' bedroom.

	The border is more expensive, but, a lot less time.

	- Linda

    I was shocked at how much borders cost!  My boss's tip - find regular
    wallpaper with a striped type pattern and cut it.  That's what I
    did in the bathroom and it really looks good.  I found a pattern
    that was alternating floral and like a dotted Swiss, so I got two
    strips out of the roll's width - a lot cheaper!

    My wife and I chose to stencil a border all around the kitchen
    which ended up running down the hallway. We penciled out a simple
    floral pattern on paper, traced it onto mylar (6 mils thick), then
    I cut it out with an X-acto knife. We used 3 colors in all. Took
    2 nights (after supper till ~12) and around 3 six-packs of beer.
    Looks the nuts and you can say you did it! I mean I did it.
    
    The stencil was ~ a foot an a half long and I made sure that a leaf
    at the beginning of the stencil was repeated at the very end of
    the stencil in the same location so registration was easy. Remember,
    very very little paint is left on the brush when it is applied to
    the stencil surface/wall. You don't want any paint to creap under
    the stencil so hold it firmly against the wall, scotch tape helps.
    
    Mark

    
    Does anyone know where, around Maynard, to get stencil paint?
    

    Re: stencil paint
    
    You could try Prescott Paint & Wallpaper on Rte. 62.  If you're
    heading toward Concord it is on the left, about 1/4 mile before
    the Purity Supreme.  I believe my wife bought some there.
    
    					Steve

What's special about stencil paint?

    At the risk of sounding like a plug, I wanted to make known that
    the Covered Bridge in Nashua on Rte 101A has free stenciling classes.
    Friday night 6-6:30 and 6:30 to 7. I'm going this friday, since
    I am an utter beginner and want to do the job right. 
    
    I told them I already had my stencil and paints and probably wouldn't
    be much of a customer -- no problem! I guess they cover the basics
    - wall preparation, technique for shading, etc.
    
    stel
    

    Stencil Crayons or Markers???
    
    I'm going to start stencilling my bedroom and I've heard that Stencil
    Crayons or Stencil Markers work better on walls than the regular
    stencil paints.  My sister-in-law used them with a pallet then took
    the paint from the pallet with a brush.  She got a nice, soft affect.
    I've been to lots of craft stores, but no one seems to carry them.
    Does anyone know where I can get these?  I live in Leominster and
    work in Marlboro.
    
    Thanks!
    
    Susan

    The Settle Shop in West Townsend sells Stencil Crayons.
    

    
         My wife just finished doing stencils in our kitchen and
       she bought everything she needed at the fabric place (sportwear)
       in framingham.
    
    
                                                        John c.
    

    My wife has stencilled most of the walls in our house and
    used the stencil paints. The paint was applied with cheap
    throwaway sponges. I think she bought everything at the
    Wayside country store on Rte 20 in Marlboro.
    

    I had some luck over the weekend finding the Stencil Crayons.  I
    found them at the Country Corner in Garder.  They are called Artists
    Paintstik by Shiva, Inc.  they come in a set of five colors and
    were $10.99.
    
    I was very pleased with how they worked.  I got the suttle effect
    I was looking for, and was able to shade different parts of the stencil.
    They are much less messy than using paints!
    
    Thanks for your help everyone!     
    

    I have a question about the white border on border material. How
    does one go about cutting this uncessary  edge away before hanging
    the border? I was disappointed to spend MEGAbucks for border only
    to find that such a step was a pre-requisite to putting up the border.
    We're looking for a clean edge. My wife says to use a razor-knife.
    I thought a set of scissors in skilled hands was the trick. What
    does the voice of experience say? (besides don't use it--stencil
    instead!)
    
    Thanks
    Mike

    
     The pro's trim wallpaper with a pair of L O N G scissors  ~12".
    If I were you I would use the longest, sharpest scissors I could
    find and just do it slowly and carefully. BTW it is NOT a sign of
    poor quality that the edge of a border or paper has to be trimmed.
    
    					Kenny

    
    We are finally getting around to painting our child's room.
    
    We would like to stencil after painting.  
    
    However, we can't find a stencil we like.  Does anyone know
    where we can get stencils of airplanes??  (preferably biplanes but
    an lead will be a great help.)
    
    We are located in the Southern NH area.
    
    thanks,
    jeff
    

    Look in the back of any "country" decoration magazine ("Country
    Living," "Colonial Homes") there are several mail order stencil
    companies that offer a specialty design as yours.  Most craft
    shops (Lewards in Billerica, MA on Rte 3A) tend to offer popular
    designs such as geese, houses, small animals etc.  Also check the
    CATALOGS notes conference, there may be some stencil companies in
    there as well.
    
    Check the local yellow pages under "Crafts."  If you can't find any
    catalog companies contact me directly.  I'm in the process of
    stenciling several rooms right now and I'll look for you.

    You could also get a transparency picture and project that on the
    wall to trace around.  This way you could have pictures that no
    one else has.
    
    Jean
    

    Check 1111.105 WALLPAPER&STENCILING.  There are several notes about
    stenciling and suppliers of such.
    
    317,569,803, and 1679 are just a few.

    Try:
    
    StenArt
    P.O. Box 114, Dept JA9
    Pittman, NJ 08071-9857
    (609) 589-9857
    
    $2 for the catalog

    "The Covered Bridge" craft stores (one's on Amherst Street across
    from the Blushing Rose florist and the other is in S. Nashua in
    Lamplighter Square not far from Pheasant lane Mall) carry stenciling
    materials and teach how to use them.  Whether they have or could
    order a biplane for you, I don't know.
    
    I think the new Ben Franklin's crafts in Milford (at Lorden Plaza)
    might have stencils too.
    
    If you strike out, another do-it-yourself idea is to find a kids
    coloring book with a useable design.  They are usually simplified
    enough to convert to stencils.  I think the shops that sell the
    stencils could provide the materials and probably instructions for
    transferring the design to stencil form.
    
    Have fun!
    
    Sherry

    I make my own stencils by either drawing out a design on paper or using
    an already drawn design and photocopying these on to a transparency.  I
    make as many transparencies as the different cuts and colors I desire
    and then proceed to cut away the transparencies with a sharp razor.  It
    works just fine and, better yet, it gives you the design you really
    want at a fraction of the price.
    
    Alfonso

    I recently had three rooms wallpapered with borders.  The borders
    are falling off.  The man used border paste the first time and they
    stayed up 2 months.  He came back and rehung the borders with paste
    he made and they stayed up 2 days.
    
    Any suggestions on what I should use to keeps these borders on the
    wall?
    
    Thanks,
    
    Jack

    Wallpaper paste???  Am I missing something or is the obvious being
    overlooked?  

    Most paste is water based and in humid conditions will break down.  That
    is why a steamer is used to remove wallpaper.  If your wallpaper is
    falling down, you might want to check the humidity level in your home. 
    The amount of humidity to encourage wallpaper paste to let go is about
    rain forest level so it is highly unlikely to be the *only* reason but
    could be a contributing factor.  Unless the three rooms you had papered
    are bathrooms.

    it sounds like you have Vinyl wallpaper and your trying to put
    a border on top of it.  This cannot (in 99% of the cases) be done.
    Normal paste requires some kind of pourous surface to stick to.  Vinyl
    is not one of those surfaces.
    
    Golden Harvest puts out a vinyl paste called GH50...this paste is
    pre-mixed and usually does the job.
    
    However for those really stubborn borders, you can use a product put
    out by METYLN that is called STANFIX.  This stuff will really bond
    paper together..only problem is you have to work fast with it, cause
    it dries fast.
    
    both these products can be found at any paint & paper store.
    
    mark
    

	re: borders over vinyl wallcovering...

	Seems that a company who markets a vinyl wallcovering AND a vinyl
        border must be doing something right. I've put up two rooms' worth
        of vinyl paper with borders and have not seen any peeling problems.
        One's about 3 years now and the other just a few months. Get the
	correct adhesive, follow the directions and it's a no-miss situation.


	I've used a product named 'Sure-Stick' on the borders with
	excellent results. The alternative to pasting the border over the
	wallcovering is to trim the wall paper, then paste up the border.
	For me, a lot of extra work for little, if any, visible gain.

   > I recently had three rooms wallpapered with borders.
    
    Did you just put up a border? Or do you mean the rooms were wallpapered
    and then a border applied? If you have painted walls w/ a border,
    be sure to size (sp?), the walls first.
    

    The application is vinyl border over vinyl paper.  I was told that
    the original batch of border paste I used may have been bad.
    
    I pickup up a new batch of Golden Harvest GH50 and hung them again
    myself last night.  
    
    Thanks for all your suggestions.
    
    Regards,
    
    Jack
    

    
    My wife stenciled our living room, dining room and bedroom and she used
    the solid paint made for stenciling. She said that it was much easier
    to work with than the liquid paints. They look kind of like big
    crayons.
    
    Steve B.
    

    I have a question about stenciling on the top of window frames.
    
    We've recently redecorated a familyroom, and the ivory woodwork looks
    so nice around the windows that we're reluctant to hide it with
    curtains.  What might look nice would be a simple stencil motif on the
    top of the window molding.  The paint used on the windows was a latex
    semi-gloss enamel - will stencil paint or crayons adhere to this kind
    of paint?  Seems to me I've heard that it matters what kind of base
    you're working on when stenciling. 
    
    I also would like to understand the technique when using more than one
    color - obviously you do one color, let it dry, then reapply the
    stencil for the next color?

    I am going to attempt my first stenciling project.  For all of you
    experts out there, do you need to paint the walls before stenciling? 
    If so, with what?  Does anyone have any ideas for a 7 yr old boy's
    room?
    
    Thanks in advance
    

    You probably want to paint them before, just because it's difficult
    to paint them after the stencilling is done.
    
    I've stencilled a couple of rooms in my house, and I used stencil
    oil sticks. They are much easier to work with than japan paints,
    but the color is a lot stronger than standard stencil paints, so
    be sure you want strong color. (Even a soft rose is stronger in
    an oil stick than a japan paint.)
    
    The COvered Bridge in Nashua has a really big variety of stencils,
    so you should be able to find something suitable for your sons
    room. My nephew (who is six) wanted dinosaur or mutant ninja 
    turtle wallpaper, so maybe those would be good ;-) (Can you live
    with TMNT stencils??)
    
    	june
    

    Paint first - but use the right paint.  I *think* you need semi-gloss,
    or satin, or some such - not gloss or flat.  Check with a craft store,
    or even the crafts Notes conference.  Hit "7" on your keypad to check
    out DPE::CRAFTS.

    I've painted over flat latex with no problems.

    It's the glossy paints that are a problem. Their slippery surface makes
    the stencil brush kind of `smear' instead of coloring nicely.
    
    Peter

    I've stenciled over flat and semi-gloss paints with no problems.  I
    would start with freshly painted walls.  If you're painting a design
    that could get handprints or dirt on it (such as a stencil near a 
    light switch or chair rail) you might want to put a light coat of
    clear poly over it to keep it from wearing when you wash the walls.
    I've used Cream Coat paints for wall-stencils - they shade nicely 
    and there's a large selection of colors.  Pierces Crafts in Leominster
    has paints - I think the brand is American Heritage - I've had good 
    luck with this paint as well.  Practice on paper before you stencil 
    on the wall - to be sure the colors are right and to practice the 
    design.  You do have a little time to wipe mistakes off the wall (water 
    based paints) and if it can't be wiped off, keep a small roller with 
    wall paint ready.  Make sure you have excellent quality brushes.  Cheap 
    brushes will not hold the paint properly or allow you to shade evenly.
    
    Good luck!                                                                    
    

    According to a conversation I overheard last week at Lynch Paint
    in Westford, eggshell finish is recommended before stenciling.
    Probably allows the paint to adhere better than gloss, but still lets
    you wipe off the mistakes nicely before the stencil dries. 

I'm painting the walls in my son's bedroom and will be putting up a border.  
I have two questions:

	1.  How long should I let the wall paint dry before putting up the
	    border (1 day, 1 week, etc.)?  I'm using Latex paint.

	2.  Do I have to size the top six inches of the wall before putting
	    up the border or will the border stick sufficiently to the paint?


Thanks,
Tom 

    
    From my experience and I'm not well known for doing things by the
    book, just ask my wife ! 
    Anyway, I've put up a couple borders on "flat" latex with no sizing
    (pre-pasted) the day after the room was painted. They're still up
    after a couple years.
    If you're using semi-gloss or gloss, you may want to size first but
    I've never tried that.
    
    

�	1.  How long should I let the wall paint dry before putting up the
�	    border (1 day, 1 week, etc.)?  I'm using Latex paint.
    
    I'd follow the directions for when to apply a second coat of paint
    that's printed on the can.  Similar risks are involved if you put your
    second coat on before the paint is fully dried/cured.

Has anyone had any problems painting over stencil?  

I'm guessing the stencil used is an acrylic paint.  We lightly sanded the 
stencil to take off the 'sheen'.  Then put a coat of KILZ (stain 
blocker/primer).  But the stencil bled through.  A coat of eggshell latex
over the KILZ didn't cover it.  A second coat of KILZ didn't cover it either.

Anyone have any other recommendations?

Thanks,
Dan

ps - once we repaint the walls, my wife plans on stencilling (seriously :-)

    
    Kilz didn't do it? Try a coat of water-based waterproof glue, thinned
    for application by brush. Let dry for 24 hours.   If that doesn't stop
    it, It may be that the stencilling was done with a dye, which
    eventually bleeds through any topcoat.
    
    If you are going to stencil over it again, one sure way to stop it
    bleeding is to paste a strip ordinary kitchen aluminum foil over it and
    then prime with Zinser & topcoat.
    
    Regards,
    
    Colin
    
    

PArks makes a white shellac based sanding sealer that claims to hide all sorts
of violations to your walls.  Crayon, ballpoint pen, makring pen, etc.

Could be the bleeding thru is caused by the Kilz vehicle dissolving the inks in the
stencil paint.  If that pain is resistant to alcohol based vehicles, you should be
OK.


Chris

    
    
    The best way that I found works was to wash most of it off with a
    mixture of TSP, water and bleach.  Make sure you wear rubber gloves.
    
    

>                   -< next time wash it off before painting >-
>    
>    The best way that I found works was to wash most of it off with a
>    mixture of TSP, water and bleach.  Make sure you wear rubber gloves.

After the light sanding, we washed with Dirtex (a little weaker than TSP).
But you added bleach?  Don't TSP and Dirtex have ammonia in them?  Mixing
ammonia and bleach doesn't sound safe...

re: shellac primer?   Hmmmm...  I'll have to check into that one.  No problem
putting a latex paint over it?

Dan

re: .26

Nope, the primer leaves a pretty water reistant coating. Latex is water based,
so it dosen't affect the primer.

An added benefit is the primer is white, so it is possible to have one
coat of the final color cover completly.


Chris

Yes, Dirtex is ammoniated and should NOT be mixed with bleach.  But TSP
is just that and has no ammonia.  I wouldn't use bleach unless there seemed
to be a mildew problem, though.

			Steve

    There is no problem with mixing TSP and bleach.  It is common practice
    to mix these two together and use to clean and sanitize bottles for
    homebrewing.