I LOVE stencils. I think they can add the perfect touch to any piece of furniture. You can do an all over stencil design (like the one in this post) or maybe just stencil one single drawer on a dresser to make it an accent drawer. Both ways look great and are fun to do!
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Supplies you Need to Stencil a Dresser
- Furniture Stencil (Royal Design Studio carries my favorite furniture stencils, They have a large variety to pick from.)
- Dixie Belle Paint (I used Caviar for the black on this dresser.)
- Dixie Belle Cotton (Cotton is Dixie Belle’s White. You’ll need this for a contrasting color so you can see your stencil stand out.)
- Stencil Brush (I used Royal Design Studio’s.)
- Water Based Poly to seal your project
- Wooster 2in. shortcut paint brush (these are my favorite because they have a rubber handle.)
- OPTIONAL- Artisan Enhancements (I used this to add a shimmery look to the dresser.)
To Begin, Make sure your Dresser is clean, any gunk removed so when you apply your paint you are applying to a smooth surface. Remove Hardware and set hardware inside of drawers that they were taken off. This will help you not loose them and insure that the ones you removed go to the right drawer when you put them back. 🙂
After hardware has been put away begin by painting the outside of your dresser in your favorite color! I chose Dixie Belle’s Caviar for the outside of this dresser. You want at least 2 coats of paint on the outside of the dresser.
For the drawers, I painted the drawers in Dixie Belle’s Cotton and then applied Artisan Enhancements for a pearl effect over Dixie Belle’s Cotton this made the drawers look a little shimmery. You also want to make sure to have at least 2 coats of paint on the drawers fronts before applying your stencil.
When drawers fronts have dried you are ready to stencil! I centered the stencil for this project. Lining it up in the the middle of the dresser. I took the same color (Caviar) that I used on the outside to stencil the front of the drawers. When you are stenciling always make dabbing motions to apply your paint. Never make brush strokes. This will help prevent bleed thru when you are stenciling! 🙂
Keeping moving stencil in sections (Royal Design Studio Stencils have registered marks making it easy to to line your stencil up and move them along in a uniform pattern) continue stenciling until the drawers have all been stenciled and you have an all over stenciled pattern.
I also painted the hardware on the dresser in Dixie Belle’s Cotton and then applied Artisan Enhancements Pearl effects over the hardware to keep with the shimmery pattern. 🙂
When the stencil has dried you can apply the water based poly over the entire dresser. I like to apply poly with a foam brush. You’ll want to let poly dry for a good while. About 2-3 hours until it is not sticky. When poly has fully dried you can add another coat depending on how durable of a finish you are needing.
When poly has fully dried you are ready to put your hardware back on your furniture and give yourself a high five! You did it! Way to go!
PRO TIP: Stencil just one drawer for an accent drawer! This is usually the 2nd or 3rd drawer on a piece of furniture.
PRO TIP: Spray Shellac on old rusty hardware to prevent rust spots from showing thru paint.
Have you stenciled on furniture before? If so, where did you purchase your stencil? I’d LOVE to hear! Leave a comment below.
If you would like to learn how to apply Gel Stain to furniture click here.
Click below to download a free printable for my favorite paints!
