Stencil It So

Ah, the days of the stencil...and they're back again!

My earliest memories of stencil-made-decor go back to Mom, who was the eternal painter in our house. If it wasn't nailed to the floor, she'd paint it: baskets, chairs, wooden geese, anything. On that note: what was up with the geese in 1980's home decor? I remember my Mom, in her paint clothes, carefully balancing herself on a chair while stenciling geese - yep, more geese - onto the wall, a border of feathered friends all the way around the room. And you bet your bottoms those geese were in 'country blue.'

Honk if you heart geese!
*ring ring* Hello...1983 called, and they want their goose stencil back.

Today, when you search for "stencil" on Etsy, you get 19,297 results...and not a goose in sight. 

Today's stencil prints are Moroccan tiles, damask and paisley, while others are simply classic numbers and letters. And they're an extremely affordable, fun way to make a statement.

The next time you're having company, roll out the Scotch postal wrapping paper (the big brown roll, available at any department store or office supply store) and use stencils to add names, phrases or occasion wishes. Bam - instant table topper. (Happy Birthday, Krista!)

A simple, stylish way to customize any table top for any occasion.

Burlap banners are popping up on Etsy and Pinterest as well. Here's one Shelley made for my house during the holidays. Festive, no? 

You can DIY this banner with burlap, twine, stencils and paint.
Fold the burlap flags over the twine and seal with a glue gun.

Some of my favorite stencils are from Martha Stewart because they are clean and classic. They're available for purchase online at Kmart.com.

Got ideas for what else you'd like to see stenciled? Send 'em my way and I'll feature them.