How to Stencil a Border

Our nation's first settlers brought with them the European tradition of stenciling floral and fruit patterns on walls to mimic the look of pricey wallpapers. Today, stenciling is still a cheap way to add charm to a room. If you've never worked with stencils before, painting a decorative border around a doorway is a project any novice can tackle. Though you can certainly work with precut stencils, you'll get a more customized look if you design your own, as we did here. Follow along as senior technical editor Mark Powers creates the pattern, cuts the stencils, and stipples on just enough paint to let the wall color show through for a look that's both old-world and up-to-date.