How to Paint an Accent Border on a Wall

Paint borders by using stencils.

Painting borders in a room is a way to put your style and signature in your home using stencils. You can take pride in knowing that you did that border yourself. You apply the paint in colors and layers. They are beautiful and you can get many different designs and styles of stencils. Whatever the decor of a room, you can find a stencil to match it. Visit a craft department or paint store and look at the hundreds of stencils for borders. Choose plastic so you can use it over and over again. You can apply borders around the top of walls, the bottom of walls, around doors and windows and as chair rail.

Things You'll Need

• Step ladder
• 3 identical plastic flexible stencils
• Painter's tape
• Paper plates
• Bottles of craft paint
• Stencil brushes
• Paper towels
• Container with water

Instructions

1. 

   Use a step ladder to paint a top wall border.

   Set up the step ladder if you are painting a border around the top of the room. Start in a corner, taping three identical stencils in a row on the right and left, top and bottom, 2 inches from the ceiling. You can use one, but it will take longer. If you use three stencils, the first one will be dry and you can move it when you get the third one painted. This lets you continually paint. Keep moving the stencils from first to third position. Move the ladder as needed. Don't reach to paint.

2. 

   Lightly pound the paint onto the stencil openings.

   Paint with small piles of paint on a paper plate with separated sections in one hand. Stencils use different paints to complete the effect. Pound the paint onto the stencil openings with the big wide end of a stencil brush. Apply the paint to a brush and then wipe it off slightly with a paper towel to have a dry brush. This application dries fast.

3. Use a different brush for each color. Say we're doing a grapevine across a kitchen for top wall border. Put one color on the grapes and then apply another around the edges where needed for shading, and apply a third color to the leaves where needed. Apply a fourth color on the vine. Finish the three stencils with all the colors required for your stencil. Your stencil will have instructions to follow about application.

4. Keep moving around the room until finished. If you need to stop at any time, put the brushes in water and get all the paint out of them and dry the brushes. Don't leave them in the water. Do this even when you take breaks.

Tips & Warnings

• Use your creativity and personal touches.

• Be careful using a step ladder.

• Paint in a well ventilated area.

References

• Painter Click: Paint Wallpaper Borders
• Designs From Penny: Decorating With Stencils
• Alishias Stencils: Stencil Technique

Resources

• Painting Ideas Techniques: Wall Stencils