How to Stencil a Border

With This Old House technical editor, Mark Powers, This Old House online

About This Video

In this video, This Old House senior technical editor Mark Powers shows how to design and paint a decorative border around an interior doorway.

1. Lay out and measure the doorway's border.

2. Design and make the stencils.

3. Position the top stencil.

4. Paint the top stencil.

5. Paint the rest of the border.

Download the pattern we used.

Shopping & Tool Lists

Supplies You Will Need:
1. Stencil film
Sometimes called template plastic or acetate.
2. Painter's tape
for delicate surfaces.(It won’t remove the wall paint.)
3. Repositionable mounting spray

4. Old newspapers
5. Latex paint
Use a flat or satin finish to achieve a timeworn look.
6. Lint-free cloths
or sturdy paper towels for cleaning stencils and to dab when prepping the stencil brush.
Tools You Will Need:
1. Measuring tape
2. Fine-tip permanent marker
3. Straightedge
4. Self-healing cutting mat
5. X-Acto knife
6. Pane of glass and electric stencil-cutting pen for cutting curved lines. Get one at crafts stores or Amazon
7. Plastic putty knife
8. Paper plate or small bucket or tray for holding the paint.
9. Flat-tip stencil brush. Get a size that suits your pattern's scale and shape. We used a No. 8 brush, which has a diameter of ⅝inch.
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Helpful Info:
Step By Step: How to Stencil a Border
Article: Painting with Stencils