10 ways with stencils

A stencil set is a quick and imaginative way to liven up your walls and update your home. Discover how to stencil, what you need to make one, and great stencil ideas with our guide to sophisticated and fun updates to the home. From a chic stencil in the living room, to fun updates for a kid’s bedroom we have lots of ideas to choose from. Get inspired with our top 10 gallery of stencil ideas for the home.

A bold wall stencil can add real sophistication to a room. Position stencils on a bold paint colour in an alcove or a feature wall. Choose one that reflects your room theme, for example Oriental or geometric. The stencil will be more effective if it’s in one shade such as white. Team with neutral furniture and accessories to match the wall colour.

Floor stencils are an effective way of adding understated drama to a room. If you’re bored of plain floorboards, a stencil design will brighten the floor instantly. A great alternative to expensive floor tiles in an open-plan kitchen or dining room is to add a geometric pattern. Make sure you varnish over the stencil and carefully mark out the border first.

A hallway wall is a great area for adding impact to your home with stencils. Position stencils leading up the stairs, either below or above the dado rail, for real impact. Graphic and random floral designs work really well in this area.

Add a house number or name to your home by stencilling on a glass panel or window above the front door. Or stencil windows and mirrors with glass paint.

Stencils are a wonderful addition to kids’ bedrooms, adding a sense of fun and creativity to the space. Add stencils to the bedroom door, above the bed, or on a wardrobe in their favourite themes such as animals or nature. As your child’s tastes change the stencils can be easily updated to reflect this.

For a calming backdrop to a bedroom, position a stencil running across an alcove for a sophisticated and chic centrepiece to the space. Brighten up a room with a bold stencil in a guest bedroom in a timeless floral or paisley design. If you love vintage style, stencil over a piece of lace to produce a delicate romantic feature wall above a dressing table

1/10 Blue-and-white living room

A bamboo trellis stencil in deep blue creates an intriguing and exotic effect, especially paired with a willow pattern-inspired border. Keeping the palette blue and white helps to unite the look, and Chinoiserie-style accessories sit well with graphic designs and white furniture.

2/10 Bold wall stencils

This simple but dramatic stencil creates the illusion of alcoves and sets the tone for the Oriental-style living room. With a bold colour like this bright green, the stencil works better if it's in one shade, such as bright white. Team with neutral furniture and accessories to match the wall colour. If you want to try something like this in a rented home you could stencil canvas and pin it to the wall for the same effect.

Try Hobbycraft for stencilling kits and canvases.

3/10 Easy floor stencil 

Bored of your plain floorboards? A simple stencil design will brighten up your flooring quickly and easily. It's just a matter of stencilling the floor with paint and varnishing over the top - but carefully mark out the border first.

4/10 Staircase stencils

Hallways can be tricky areas to make interesting but stencilling below or above a dado rail is one way to spice up your stairs. A random design that has movement works well, as do graphic designs.

5/10 Stencils for kids

If getting the kids off to bed is a trial, maybe it'd be easier if they had a bedroom door they loved to open! The combination of images and script is a great idea and updating a door is a fun way to decorate with stencils.

6/10 Stencilling over alcoves 

If you have a flexible stencil, you can stick it over an alcove and paint to create the effect of the stencil going right across the alcove. It looks trickier than it is, but our top tip is to use spray paint and to make sure that the stencil is perfectly flush against the wall.

7/10 Stencilling on glass

Stencilling doesn't have to be widly creative, it's a great, low-cost and creative way to add a house number or name sign to your home, and if you use glass paint you can stencil windows and mirrors, too.

Try Paintforglass.co.uk for a large range of glass paint

8/10 Smart stencilled floor

A large floor stencilled with a geometric pattern makes a great statement - and is easier than you think! The beauty of this stencil is that it mimics floor tiles and marks out the dining area in an open-plan kitchen. Using a pale grey floor paint around the stencil gives a relaxed French-style feel.

9/10 Bright guest bedroom

Wow your guests with a bold wall stencil like this one, which is influenced by Indiennes motifs. This paisley stencil shape was made to order and then used on the walls to produce a panelled effect.

Contact the Stencil Warehouse for bespoke stencil designs

10/10 Stencilling with lace

A super-easy way to stencil and so clever! Just take a piece of lace, pin it to an area you want to stencil and paint over it lightly to stencil the vintage pattern on to the wall. We love the way this stencil has been made to display accessories.

See how to recreate this look with our 5 steps to a vintage bedroom.

Feeling inspired? Here's how to create a craft room, and don't forget to check out our expert videos and see our favourite weekend decorating projects.

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