How To Stencil A Wall: A Beginner's Guide To Allover Wall Stenciling

If you’ve ever wondered how to stencil a wall, don’t miss my beginner’s guide to allover wall stenciling! This step-by-step tutorial will make the stenciling process simple!

When I started to plan out my home office, I knew I wanted the back wall to make a statement. It will end up being a backdrop for a lot of photos and videos, so I wanted it to stand out. It should be easily recognizable, and of course be absolutely beautiful!

I considered several different ways of achieving this. I could have done some sort of wooden wall treatment like shiplap or board and batten. Or I could have chosen one of the many gorgeous wallpapers that I’ve been seeing pop up all over these days.

But in the end, I found myself coming back to the idea of a stenciled wall again and again. And though I had never stenciled a wall before, I figured it couldn’t be that hard…right? 😉 So I decided to jump right in!

How to Stencil a Wall: Wall Stenciling Step-by-Step Tutorial

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.

Time needed: 14 hours

Here are the steps I used to stencil the large back wall in my home office:

1. Gather the necessary supplies to stencil a wall.

   The supplies I used for my project are as follows:Wall Stencil (I used the Donatella Damask Stencil for my project.)LevelPencilPaint (I used Behr Marquee Cameo White and Sherwin Williams Rainwashed, color matched in Behr Marquee paint.)Painter’s tapeMini foam rollerPaint trayPaper towelsStencil brushSmall paint brushScissors (optional)

2. Paint the base color on the wall.

   Next I had to decide on colors. I already knew that I wanted to do white + the aqua color that I had already painted my office nook, but I had to choose which one would be the base color and which color I would stencil over top.As I looked at different examples of stenciled walls, I realized that with the stencil pattern I had chosen, if I did the white as my base and the aqua color on top, I would have a more bold wall. And if I did an aqua base with a white stencil over it, my design would be a little more muted. Since I tend to be a bit scared of bold pattern, I decided to go with the latter combination.The exact colors I used were Behr Marquee Cameo White and Sherwin Williams Rainwashed. (But I had Rainwashed color matched in the Behr Marquee paint since it is my favorite!)

3. Draw a straight line down the middle of the wall to align the stencil.

   To make sure that my stencil pattern would be completely straight, Donnie helped me draw a perfectly straight vertical line down the middle of the wall with a pencil. That way I could set my first row of stenciling right against that line. Then all of the rest of my rows would be built upon that one, ensuring that they would all be straight.

4. Tape the stencil to the wall.

   To place the stencil the very first time, I lined it up with the pencil line that Donnie had drawn. I also placed it right up against the ceiling. My stencil set came with a coordinating ceiling stencil. So if I started my design at ceiling level, I would be able to go back in with the smaller stencil later and easily fill in the little gap at the top. (You’ll see what I mean in a minute!)I just used painter’s tape to adhere my stencil to the wall. Some of the instructions and tutorials I read recommended using a spray adhesive on the back of the stencil as well. But that sounded messy to me, so I used tape by itself. I didn’t have any trouble.

5. Begin rolling the paint over the stencil on the wall.

   I think one of the biggest keys to getting a nice, clean stencil line is to use very, very little paint. I opted to use a mini foam roller to apply most of the paint. So I would load my roller and roll off some of the paint in my paint tray. Then I’d do a roll or two on a paper towel. This would ensure I had only a very thin layer of paint on my roller.I would then roll a coat of paint over my stencil. Often, since there was so little paint on my roller, I would have to refill my roller 2-3 times and go over the stencil again to make sure it was completely filled in. I found that doing several of these thin coats one right over the other worked well. It really minimized bleeding under the stencil.

6. Use the registration marks to line up the stencil and continue the pattern on the wall.

   At the top, bottom, and side edges of the stencil, there are registration marks that help make sure that the stencil is lined up in the correct position. I would typically finish rolling my paint and remove the stencil right away. Then I’d let the paint dry for a minute or two and use the registration marks to position the stencil again.Since I was using very thin coats of paint, they dried quickly. I didn’t have to wait long in between stencils.I also staggered the placement of the stencil, which allowed me to go more quickly. So, for example, while the paint for the stencil in the below photo was drying, I would remove the stencil and place it beside the top row. I’d roll the paint over that one, and then by the time I was finished there, I could move the stencil back down to the bottom. By then, the first stencil I had done was dry and ready to go.

7. Use the ceiling stencil to fill in the top of the design.

   The main part of the wall was a little time consuming, but the process was pretty straightforward– tape the stencil, paint, move the stencil, paint again, repeat. Eventually, though, that easier section was done, and it was time to tackle the edges.As I mentioned previously, my stencil came with a smaller piece that was designed to help fill in the gap along the ceiling line. I actually ended up trimming down the top of the ceiling stencil by about 1/4″ or so. This allowed me to place it right up against the ceiling rather than it rolling up onto the ceiling, which would make it harder to stencil.

8. Use a stencil brush or paint brush for smaller details if necessary.

   For the smaller pieces like the ceiling and the edges, I used a stencil brush like the one below rather than a roller because it was easier to manipulate in the smaller spaces.If there was a spot that was really teeny tiny, I kept a small paintbrush handy and used that to fill in when necessary.

9. Fill in the edges of the wall with a stenciled pattern.

   My stencil didn’t end up hitting the edges of my wall exactly. I had to do a bit of maneuvering to stencil each end and the very bottom of my wall. I would first tape the edge of the opposite wall where I didn’t want the paint to seep. Then I would just let the stencil bend into the corner and press it in with my fingers on one hand and stencil with the other hand.

10. . How to Deal with Tricky Pieces of Wall When Stenciling

    The one piece of the wall that perplexed me a bit was a little two-inch strip between the door molding and the wall. There was no way to bend the stencil to make it fit neatly in that space. So I ended up cutting a two-inch strip out of my stencil once the rest of the wall was complete and using that to fill in the gap.(If you were planning on using your stencil somewhere else and didn’t want to cut it, one of my Instagram friends suggested making a photocopy of the stencil and cutting that, perhaps out of cardstock, which I thought was a great idea!)As you can see, I taped up both the door frame and the wall so I wouldn’t get paint on them, then taped my little piece of stencil into the gap, and just filled in with paint like I had on the other edges.

11. . Enjoy your newly stenciled wall!

    I pulled the tape away, and my wall was done! Yippee!I did go in and end up touching up a few spots with paint where the lines weren’t totally crisp. It still is not 100% perfect, but the pattern is pretty forgiving, so I didn’t have to be too nit-picky with it. I would say all in all I spent about 14 total hours stenciling. (And I tend to be kind of slow because I’m a perfectionist, so other people would probably be faster than me!)

I think the stencil achieved my goal of having a wall with “wow” factor! It definitely makes a statement in the room, and I love how it turned out!

I am excited to share a few more projects we’ve been working on in this space and, of course, the final reveal of the entire office soon, so stay tuned!! (Update: The office is done! See it here!)

How to Stencil a Wall: Frequently Asked Questions

Do you use the ceiling stencil to finish the bottom edge as well?

I did the bottom the same way as the corners. So I taped off the baseboard, and then just lined up the regular stencil, which ended up overlapping the baseboard.

At the spot where the wall meets the baseboard, I pushed in the stencil with my fingers and used the smaller brushes to fill it in.

Are your ceilings level? Did you have to make any adjustments if they were not?

Our ceiling was just slightly not level, so I did go by the vertical line that we drew at the beginning, rather than the ceiling.

The stencil is pretty forgiving, though, and since it was only off slightly, I really didn’t have to compensate for it.

How is the stencil wall holding up after a few years?

As of this update, I completed this project more than four years ago, and I am still loving the stencil wall! It has been the perfect photo backdrop and is a fun pop of pattern in my office!

More Home Office Posts

• A Cozy Office Nook
• Creating an Organized Office with the IKEA PAX System
• IKEA PAX Office Organization: A Tour
• Planning a Cozy and Organized Home Office
• How to Create Home Office Storage with the IKEA BESTA System
• 15 Beautiful and Affordable White Writing Desks
• A Beautiful and Organized Home Office Tour

Have you ever stenciled a wall? I’d love for you to add your best tips in the comments!

Have a wonderful day!

This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.