Stenciled Burlap Art - Just Paint It Blog

How To Stencil Burlap Art

Materials (all available at Michael’s)

burlap canvas (this came in a set of three)
stencils
stencil spray adhesive
paint (I used White, Raw Umber and Deep Ocean Blue)
foam pouncers
painter’s tape
wax paper (not shown)
optional: ribbon, gem crystals and Max Tacky Adhesive

Since we’re stenciling burlap with a nubby weave, I recommend spraying stencil adhesive on the back of your stencils to prevent paint bleed-thru.

Trust me on this.

Another trust-me-on-this is to add strips of painter’s tape along the edges of the stencil so you don’t pounce paint where you don’t want it.

You could also use a bristle stencil brush. I tried that too. It takes a little longer . . . er, a lot longer . . . but bleed-thru risk is minimized. In the end I loaded a foam pouncer and made sure I pounced up-and-down without much pressure.

And one more trust-me-on-this . . . you do realize that this means I tried it another way and had issues, right?

After each paint/stencil application, set the stencil on wax paper and wipe all the paint off with a damp paper towel, turn it over and wipe the backside.

I’ve nevered stenciled a large surface, like a wall, so I don’t know how stencilists do it, if they wipe each time or not. For me, this was the only way to ensure no extra paint splotches.

After the blue chrysanthemums I stenciled white circles of dots.

The circle on the left was stenciled with a foam pouncer, the one on the right with a bristle stencil brush. It’s lighter, but less bleed-thru. You’d just need 2-3 coats with the bristle brush.

After the blue and white dried fully, I stenciled Raw Umber for the bird and branch. I didn’t get full coverage on the first go, as you can see the white and blue poking thru.

Since the bird and leaves were much larger with less detail, I just removed the stencil and went over the it again with a regular brush, making it more opaque.