$10 DIY Wine Signs

This was a fun project. Certainly more fun than stenciling last week—and now I can check the dining room off the 100% completely done list!<br /><br />First, let's go back to the inspiration pic I found on pinterest:<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://media-cache-ec2.pinterest.com/upload/244742560969392566_qmn9hF4C_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://media-cache-ec2.pinterest.com/upload/244742560969392566_qmn9hF4C_c.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/244742560969392566/" target="_blank">Source</a></em></td></tr></tbody></table>The martini sign immediately caught my eye and I thought it would look great in the "new " dining room.<br /><br />Here's the wall I needed to fill (the one next to the door):<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbfnYK0iEPhvDO_vqLcsLsd7erxlqsfYxr6x-QcacyOvQRKM3pzzTHX9Z73hUiklQFjlnowi95Xxk0oYuN55k7WrpFWsk_8-Ays4htepCaYTWa8Bjqnza49yX3KiZw8UXjKdMlefffYpLb/s1600/IMG_9008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbfnYK0iEPhvDO_vqLcsLsd7erxlqsfYxr6x-QcacyOvQRKM3pzzTHX9Z73hUiklQFjlnowi95Xxk0oYuN55k7WrpFWsk_8-Ays4htepCaYTWa8Bjqnza49yX3KiZw8UXjKdMlefffYpLb/s1600/IMG_9008.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br />Here's how it had looked prior to stenciling:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_YHBIl0Xqa34tTMQHK8xYpzbZGJESed_SDRmNwYpDw_0OarYWEoyYTv8kqIlOv3_5CjmWUDgC1zrIyx-5HnmxMwnSSEPMtMYBp-2vCHseO-2fG7qGDvjSpvc6vgy-1ahmBnqW0g08CO2Z/s1600/IMG_3895.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_YHBIl0Xqa34tTMQHK8xYpzbZGJESed_SDRmNwYpDw_0OarYWEoyYTv8kqIlOv3_5CjmWUDgC1zrIyx-5HnmxMwnSSEPMtMYBp-2vCHseO-2fG7qGDvjSpvc6vgy-1ahmBnqW0g08CO2Z/s640/IMG_3895.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Those floating shelves were actually there when we purchased the house, and I just left them. It was time for a change.<br /><br />Back to the martini sign. I knew just one wouldn't be enough to fill the space proportionately, so I decided to make 3. But what should they say? I'm more of a wino myself, so I brainstormed a few wine names that were around the same length, and ended up with Cabernet, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir (love me some reds!)<br /><br />Then it was time to figure out how to make them.<br /><br />I wanted them to be lightweight/easy to hang and relatively flat on the wall, almost more like a metal sign than a chunk of wood. After measuring the wall, I decided that 6" tall x 2 ft wide was the perfect size.<br /><br />I headed to Lowe's and guess what?<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN91bMIJQq93MgwUKoZ4e21yFh-lTQJn1you552SQaFELcK8KRiv2fRODbr3KjcbYOK7IXD4EPYVG9I6d8qzl_8Lepds6trW6t6pWE54dJ7N5f0Zj4hkFC5wLYtoV2-vZfoZZSwy_YjErt/s1600/IMG_1056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN91bMIJQq93MgwUKoZ4e21yFh-lTQJn1you552SQaFELcK8KRiv2fRODbr3KjcbYOK7IXD4EPYVG9I6d8qzl_8Lepds6trW6t6pWE54dJ7N5f0Zj4hkFC5wLYtoV2-vZfoZZSwy_YjErt/s640/IMG_1056.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />Hard to read the label, but it says 1/2" thick by 6" wide by 2 ft long. For just $3.43/ea! Lowe's, you never let me down. <br /><br />$10 later, I was back home with my boards figuring out how to paint them. Instead of black, I thought a rich brown would suit the look best. I opted for ORB spray paint (which I already had on hand) to make things super easy and add a bit of sheen to jazz them up. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzBrVsPhsHX6Jaen-6j079UaYaqECYdZmKhs35bQybvVMgVpVv_C24OjbJbvh4NJg9BLnFqVMcWbRt3MuQC3BSK2GZ6Ar2Y9teAn1-kE5uIGf4a4mMfVmlGzbk3pEfd-fZJkxuOJdHiKv/s1600/IMG_8989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzBrVsPhsHX6Jaen-6j079UaYaqECYdZmKhs35bQybvVMgVpVv_C24OjbJbvh4NJg9BLnFqVMcWbRt3MuQC3BSK2GZ6Ar2Y9teAn1-kE5uIGf4a4mMfVmlGzbk3pEfd-fZJkxuOJdHiKv/s1600/IMG_8989.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br />10 minutes later...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSkV2MpRtTxmvuuNz4vJAhzqKs63ERTlJfxXPg_4jTCM8jn9F9kNJUmtBFihUHPJ0UEm5xa_DyqOSlj4aw8Sga25I74s4LGvtHGEaNdCROOhf37PRGCfWJcaydxmOwfH47aZkC8WpKgQ7J/s1600/IMG_8991.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSkV2MpRtTxmvuuNz4vJAhzqKs63ERTlJfxXPg_4jTCM8jn9F9kNJUmtBFihUHPJ0UEm5xa_DyqOSlj4aw8Sga25I74s4LGvtHGEaNdCROOhf37PRGCfWJcaydxmOwfH47aZkC8WpKgQ7J/s640/IMG_8991.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />Next it was time to apply the letters. I am sans Silhouette Cutter, so I always like to find new ways to apply words to things. I've used different methods in the past, including my <a href="http://jennasuedesign.blogspot.com/2012/02/weathered-wooden-sign-diy.html" target="_blank">tea time sign</a> and <a href="http://jennasuedesign.blogspot.com/2011/08/guest-bath-almost-there.html" target="_blank">trash bucket,</a> but I came across yet another method from <a href="http://thatsmyletter.blogspot.com/2011/08/p-is-for-personalize.html" target="_blank">this blog</a>, using just a pen and paint brush. I'm always up for something new so I decided to try it out.<br /><br />First: design the signs.<br /><br />I measured out the size I wanted the text to be:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3g4N39igIe5oYC1p9_lg3ma0HdT03bVAsS56KVgXDV3opXNYn2bBWdAoa8bBIB-e5ZTgmz74rCp2OUo25_gKAShqNSwLhHCWtxDOUSgrxzjMIB9D84ZJU_cf-ehYT_VGx43HcTxTvMziW/s1600/IMG_9020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3g4N39igIe5oYC1p9_lg3ma0HdT03bVAsS56KVgXDV3opXNYn2bBWdAoa8bBIB-e5ZTgmz74rCp2OUo25_gKAShqNSwLhHCWtxDOUSgrxzjMIB9D84ZJU_cf-ehYT_VGx43HcTxTvMziW/s1600/IMG_9020.jpg" /></a></div><br />I left around 1.5" on all sides.<br /><br />I chose a basic bus roll-esque font (called BN-67 9010-03... strange, I know) and evenly spaced out the text in an editing program:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0RdU8juQ34sYJwOU72lTEVSuchwZPG3pQFEE9bJsstL35BsqMIchaHhMC6vkJsIo-MdZicAT2LAtNEB0XerWpXkX4uuuLXFtbuGVy2YCSvTg2E7nbV4zpg8NI1mkTfegQk2EjIpBzLEg/s1600/2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="455" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0RdU8juQ34sYJwOU72lTEVSuchwZPG3pQFEE9bJsstL35BsqMIchaHhMC6vkJsIo-MdZicAT2LAtNEB0XerWpXkX4uuuLXFtbuGVy2YCSvTg2E7nbV4zpg8NI1mkTfegQk2EjIpBzLEg/s640/2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />I added the boxes around the edges to know where to cut the paper so they all lined up. Since they were larger than 11", I had to split them up into several pages to fit onto my letter sized paper.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Ne51l7dKSoUVhEext8SPOgtOkrMR84PtDeckuzKOJMFEXS7rBfICBNn7a02w3i7G4mO_Rz-KRvbY7jP3evyielaO9aCwjxKPJzllYFu0pzuABdFCNZ_vlKZQqsDBSSLUEReWTfuG1V5q/s1600/IMG_9021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Ne51l7dKSoUVhEext8SPOgtOkrMR84PtDeckuzKOJMFEXS7rBfICBNn7a02w3i7G4mO_Rz-KRvbY7jP3evyielaO9aCwjxKPJzllYFu0pzuABdFCNZ_vlKZQqsDBSSLUEReWTfuG1V5q/s1600/IMG_9021.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Don't mind the low on ink streaks</em></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Once everything was printed, I trimmed the edges, positioned them onto the boards and taped in place:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAK3Us9Pb7OzJp_PuuhR48aUiSq8qIBiX8O0i6zCJnpf5VRmHsRxihq9qCuHh5TUf9JhCPRSr56q3pLE9DBlcldHK8Yr4qYRLrzvSZwzv1w8mNimhLHlA0d8_1V8LhfctHgEuDYXmoDtC8/s1600/IMG_9023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAK3Us9Pb7OzJp_PuuhR48aUiSq8qIBiX8O0i6zCJnpf5VRmHsRxihq9qCuHh5TUf9JhCPRSr56q3pLE9DBlcldHK8Yr4qYRLrzvSZwzv1w8mNimhLHlA0d8_1V8LhfctHgEuDYXmoDtC8/s1600/IMG_9023.jpg" /></a></div><br />Lovely.<br /><br />Then it was time to trace.<br /><br />The instructions said to simply use a ballpoint pen and apply pressure, which will create an indent in the wood for you to fill in with a small paintbrush. This wood is especially soft so it worked quite well.<br /><br />Luckily, most of my edges were straight so I used a ruler most of the time:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwADHi6QzQaWKX4R2Uebn_sumrT14pHHkQdfSwFH6YpXsyc2bEK1I1qg_1VOfokpcuJsKt3WpXFd1aSQULDzc05bUF1ZHIaINIkz5wk584-nvxJAvwGgaSJMBwdQePHrYpcIFHNBKGycDT/s1600/IMG_9024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwADHi6QzQaWKX4R2Uebn_sumrT14pHHkQdfSwFH6YpXsyc2bEK1I1qg_1VOfokpcuJsKt3WpXFd1aSQULDzc05bUF1ZHIaINIkz5wk584-nvxJAvwGgaSJMBwdQePHrYpcIFHNBKGycDT/s640/IMG_9024.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />And voila!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHGtbn_JV9VxbVyaoSIn5YdhTK1lxAVR4727GCMCoqhVTcDx8VZMjK95_cd1yvFsVXYESMYtiA9clxIe4wYsy1k4wUasjYnZh74it9NKE6i2BhO9DCApgzUZUigur6nBipCxveBEuxOtIa/s1600/IMG_9029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHGtbn_JV9VxbVyaoSIn5YdhTK1lxAVR4727GCMCoqhVTcDx8VZMjK95_cd1yvFsVXYESMYtiA9clxIe4wYsy1k4wUasjYnZh74it9NKE6i2BhO9DCApgzUZUigur6nBipCxveBEuxOtIa/s640/IMG_9029.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsUguHdeRWbklRA3ecCyLvgOqVpq7MDeMiTdgOeSPs2ilPdok2MZj94GfBl2vJTS4cPTGP9dFxTDt-i9o0mb5ZnV5jI1cPJsn_aWBIqXXl2nX9PTIH50LQ5qhWyhUDuKgeJOAUdQSFXFNu/s1600/IMG_9028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsUguHdeRWbklRA3ecCyLvgOqVpq7MDeMiTdgOeSPs2ilPdok2MZj94GfBl2vJTS4cPTGP9dFxTDt-i9o0mb5ZnV5jI1cPJsn_aWBIqXXl2nX9PTIH50LQ5qhWyhUDuKgeJOAUdQSFXFNu/s1600/IMG_9028.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br />Then it was time to paint.<br /><br />The key is using a small, flat stiff brush for the cleanest line. It's pretty crucial to have the right tool for this job or the edges will end up sloppy.<br /><br />I wanted the signs older looking, so I custom mixed an off-white using paints I already had.<br /><br />On the first sign, I coated the insides of the letters with paint first:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2xkV4lO6KUDBAHRmwj0L8zPYnTgaAgv5GNkwxqa2Q5bFX4ZJ2sRo6-wx4NRLJH3tfBk4KJpijMIKyyoMcZTqbRDm6nGO-8tws9HECNpZNWIie1Aoodv8DIrFlnVFMNHh7lh8J-oUuUoeL/s1600/IMG_9030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2xkV4lO6KUDBAHRmwj0L8zPYnTgaAgv5GNkwxqa2Q5bFX4ZJ2sRo6-wx4NRLJH3tfBk4KJpijMIKyyoMcZTqbRDm6nGO-8tws9HECNpZNWIie1Aoodv8DIrFlnVFMNHh7lh8J-oUuUoeL/s640/IMG_9030.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />Then came back and smoothed out the edges, following the indentations I had made. This part takes a steady had and lots of time, but I enjoyed it because I find painting therapeutic (not wall painting!).<br /><br />I posted a sneak preview on Instagram midway through... (if you use instagram, follow me @jennasuedesign!)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13Tpyh6zcyNsp6Leazc6db10E1-FuDbBG9HS2GVfog5FxJaCchSkF9wyE4vPFWifv0fsK5IuA62yf0KOd19ve35IkU06vEFi1BC0_pEGTSubGJodyERtvAEw2UHJ13y2LOKxO7V3G_ZVi/s1600/IMG_1075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13Tpyh6zcyNsp6Leazc6db10E1-FuDbBG9HS2GVfog5FxJaCchSkF9wyE4vPFWifv0fsK5IuA62yf0KOd19ve35IkU06vEFi1BC0_pEGTSubGJodyERtvAEw2UHJ13y2LOKxO7V3G_ZVi/s1600/IMG_1075.JPG" /></a></div><br /><br />Finally, after about an hour per sign, the lettering was complete:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxf3Tsu9_l8nlLj3HBTj2Xk-GGxy2_01rgEZ0L-kS1fWK3cnepwVzFz5ioxwP9e4BBGxMEYzETA-1eA7hT0uNMI7cJD4i8o4asmtIKjt_9XpF3YsMwNSAjg7e-p7CLa6pO-0IK2aboWit8/s1600/IMG_9032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxf3Tsu9_l8nlLj3HBTj2Xk-GGxy2_01rgEZ0L-kS1fWK3cnepwVzFz5ioxwP9e4BBGxMEYzETA-1eA7hT0uNMI7cJD4i8o4asmtIKjt_9XpF3YsMwNSAjg7e-p7CLa6pO-0IK2aboWit8/s1600/IMG_9032.jpg" /></a></div><br />Happy dance.<br /><br />I liked them the way they were, but wondered if adding a pinstripe border would make them look more finished. I debated for a while, and finally decided to go for it.<br /><br />Not trusting myself to freehand something so exact, I used painters tape:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1icFxpn9IH5jB2T-wL3_DMnjirAanNw_jKGjX8mlNFI8dlHidOtyr7GDf4NrgERLJJHeE9MpkrxeR0tl_CTZRQJDbz8HqcAH87nG-2ei1ff81vbVnkZilKKMbAMkErNcMwpCPGNrL0zuf/s1600/IMG_9036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1icFxpn9IH5jB2T-wL3_DMnjirAanNw_jKGjX8mlNFI8dlHidOtyr7GDf4NrgERLJJHeE9MpkrxeR0tl_CTZRQJDbz8HqcAH87nG-2ei1ff81vbVnkZilKKMbAMkErNcMwpCPGNrL0zuf/s1600/IMG_9036.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgAb2sMY1YRGa19IqfTdm-MGcHhqeVRql7bKPVHpbW1Jt4PMmOuJVuYFSu9EXD7lTrgKKgI8mId72zL4yyOYkZNzorKrWmL56_FxXas8Q4TStxTSKtTIfbzhp3vso4i_18RCnNM18ePy8/s1600/IMG_1076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgAb2sMY1YRGa19IqfTdm-MGcHhqeVRql7bKPVHpbW1Jt4PMmOuJVuYFSu9EXD7lTrgKKgI8mId72zL4yyOYkZNzorKrWmL56_FxXas8Q4TStxTSKtTIfbzhp3vso4i_18RCnNM18ePy8/s1600/IMG_1076.JPG" /></a></div><br /><br />And I was digging the results.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqUGcnbmRrUX3TdhDGHUA5E5hDAeqNd6GAooUFUmd9KON2OlZfgAiGwTXvhtdZo6y9bRBjDbA6snUbgv4a12AbD2SQJtiKY3hXKxqQSalpf6LgkkAjvu91ergmRhhDwIj_vhAlWU_EBDp/s1600/IMG_9038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHqUGcnbmRrUX3TdhDGHUA5E5hDAeqNd6GAooUFUmd9KON2OlZfgAiGwTXvhtdZo6y9bRBjDbA6snUbgv4a12AbD2SQJtiKY3hXKxqQSalpf6LgkkAjvu91ergmRhhDwIj_vhAlWU_EBDp/s1600/IMG_9038.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br />Finally, they were all done!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMIcxY7mUXEjkYa1JKVo4ztZoEDfjfPMOjnwRUezkSI5BrtXFqTix9ZcVqY6QoAxmPf7GKp6ZoTBUeGt3Kh28SnFpv7z4h5o9E9EwjZesTLJbt253z1IX7fL5AXnCx7hd17rHCC75JPGp5/s1600/IMG_9040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMIcxY7mUXEjkYa1JKVo4ztZoEDfjfPMOjnwRUezkSI5BrtXFqTix9ZcVqY6QoAxmPf7GKp6ZoTBUeGt3Kh28SnFpv7z4h5o9E9EwjZesTLJbt253z1IX7fL5AXnCx7hd17rHCC75JPGp5/s1600/IMG_9040.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br />And now, the grand finale reveal of the dining nook.<br /><br />For fun, let's revisit the space when we bought the house two years ago:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGpVqolhGYfap_DV6VSc4Kdd3LFkGj85eLiWxj-bItXP_L4Yd27tvFpL37kEWsKmsMIZUrdF7DmVfmOs7MrmwVVwmTR_MGMYiMy5YOQWbP7VF64RldsYfVJiHGR9eRaIm0Ry44xhNOk9Bq/s1600/IMG_2134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGpVqolhGYfap_DV6VSc4Kdd3LFkGj85eLiWxj-bItXP_L4Yd27tvFpL37kEWsKmsMIZUrdF7DmVfmOs7MrmwVVwmTR_MGMYiMy5YOQWbP7VF64RldsYfVJiHGR9eRaIm0Ry44xhNOk9Bq/s640/IMG_2134.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWgYofztV2sWT02nIZO3Xz3IH3sKO_ynHjZwaJIpWiJLeD3HdY-D31q8ijcq8Qpf9kPOtPT4seKetBNI9zbF3LACIxIeNpdcJZNXw3m8mVR2LeDuqwiLyWSFr953L-O6B19OaHsvV4AQg/s1600/IMG_2183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWgYofztV2sWT02nIZO3Xz3IH3sKO_ynHjZwaJIpWiJLeD3HdY-D31q8ijcq8Qpf9kPOtPT4seKetBNI9zbF3LACIxIeNpdcJZNXw3m8mVR2LeDuqwiLyWSFr953L-O6B19OaHsvV4AQg/s640/IMG_2183.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNjo04elN_q97jqxs8wZXd6qWhAroOArQpGLTyRFH9z0FcKTwSEGs6O2WVBjl1P0qEYSwpw2TRX35hnoNzKXhx4kBv7ThBDkveZl6xwltsg_QNzRLfKTBaSa3m7d6c3fRS4XvIAhiO9Nq/s1600/IMG_2181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVNjo04elN_q97jqxs8wZXd6qWhAroOArQpGLTyRFH9z0FcKTwSEGs6O2WVBjl1P0qEYSwpw2TRX35hnoNzKXhx4kBv7ThBDkveZl6xwltsg_QNzRLfKTBaSa3m7d6c3fRS4XvIAhiO9Nq/s640/IMG_2181.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />Phase 1:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIx2wxuoxT0gYe3FrZ9gvB8MYFg8sCTrw6ItWu1ohZQJDNWB0ZqrAId4Cx5TW3ZyqaW_1T7oRjLRaEOzzJAAYzYDKAliW2TpsDPd0jJ2lL7oxpCnbh88y15aRaX1WwobRB5S7_3_gIZC0u/s1600/IMG_5257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIx2wxuoxT0gYe3FrZ9gvB8MYFg8sCTrw6ItWu1ohZQJDNWB0ZqrAId4Cx5TW3ZyqaW_1T7oRjLRaEOzzJAAYzYDKAliW2TpsDPd0jJ2lL7oxpCnbh88y15aRaX1WwobRB5S7_3_gIZC0u/s640/IMG_5257.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><a href="http://jennasuedesign.blogspot.com/2011/05/dining-room-wainscoting-done.html" target="_blank">Phase 2:</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi18b7hXxOS_SD5VO7EQe3rfGUot7Eo3e2camYD8T462YuUrCq9GscCVAJyCaaxb_M2JoWYvK_1wnx6Tvx4An5cpa4Si3-9XLXlqceDI6EvX1dcvpRy92IipkYZoz2MqQaeVZPM1HPRu12s/s1600/IMG_5306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi18b7hXxOS_SD5VO7EQe3rfGUot7Eo3e2camYD8T462YuUrCq9GscCVAJyCaaxb_M2JoWYvK_1wnx6Tvx4An5cpa4Si3-9XLXlqceDI6EvX1dcvpRy92IipkYZoz2MqQaeVZPM1HPRu12s/s640/IMG_5306.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />And the final phase:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApBjvnS2oXOIZQ_n_B0lRGEIGYDTGBl5Hi_W7wiBAVxMa8lFM7cZ6t90tsK7fUiOMvX2-O9XAEPHPor6iYK79C4tWLtvK0SpPmlOnPwa_XBOf3qj8cS0l1kRXEoGkXNJZrLNdaXGo5J1n/s1600/IMG_9073.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgApBjvnS2oXOIZQ_n_B0lRGEIGYDTGBl5Hi_W7wiBAVxMa8lFM7cZ6t90tsK7fUiOMvX2-O9XAEPHPor6iYK79C4tWLtvK0SpPmlOnPwa_XBOf3qj8cS0l1kRXEoGkXNJZrLNdaXGo5J1n/s1600/IMG_9073.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnDdoCKJlJosWKM68NiuLSSRbPWfHzUaFXsEAK-3TyzZugSSHpWm4KFbXMOwR7RM9_4QaITViOxe95SI0EskoyfeDxIdnmBqIRTDQVDa7Q2TtUtUrMlTUWL77cC9FGoKhEoGUqfNIomuB/s1600/IMG_9068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvnDdoCKJlJosWKM68NiuLSSRbPWfHzUaFXsEAK-3TyzZugSSHpWm4KFbXMOwR7RM9_4QaITViOxe95SI0EskoyfeDxIdnmBqIRTDQVDa7Q2TtUtUrMlTUWL77cC9FGoKhEoGUqfNIomuB/s1600/IMG_9068.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHWQP-jyWNVNM__kH6PKM-vLgeA2VcfsarKT9qh-Ri1guIB5o4b9B6RR9S17s4RNOKfH9-Y4TN68Qgg-LfL6-F36Q9Ss4DU_lnD2K05WiYV8Vw4SIAhwqYlzSdCrBAYdLIz3_rVdlyKgc7/s1600/IMG_9069.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHWQP-jyWNVNM__kH6PKM-vLgeA2VcfsarKT9qh-Ri1guIB5o4b9B6RR9S17s4RNOKfH9-Y4TN68Qgg-LfL6-F36Q9Ss4DU_lnD2K05WiYV8Vw4SIAhwqYlzSdCrBAYdLIz3_rVdlyKgc7/s1600/IMG_9069.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-qmKNnO_-YTqa4DCZh_CV6q0m-Dhn4JXb8UfxJnEjHqCupms0kMw3bSXKo8eRhff9lT83uaJQOaHZstt2TU8F8JFuMf3uWKxMP3H0DkoQf0_daRz7N2PzRm3osYEThF3ang2xEFg0zVxV/s1600/IMG_9047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-qmKNnO_-YTqa4DCZh_CV6q0m-Dhn4JXb8UfxJnEjHqCupms0kMw3bSXKo8eRhff9lT83uaJQOaHZstt2TU8F8JFuMf3uWKxMP3H0DkoQf0_daRz7N2PzRm3osYEThF3ang2xEFg0zVxV/s1600/IMG_9047.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvu15cc2YgIsaZmAK5ORz0w9kBGXid1tEMwmMHWctEygtbQrvCYRqo-D99MdxMGtTSiGKxAnZH_NYnbz_j88oH-IXBz6tL8g14HtPm29e2yWTxTxlZ5yqmXP1W0X9JWv4WGhvOOg4mchZ/s1600/IMG_9051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvu15cc2YgIsaZmAK5ORz0w9kBGXid1tEMwmMHWctEygtbQrvCYRqo-D99MdxMGtTSiGKxAnZH_NYnbz_j88oH-IXBz6tL8g14HtPm29e2yWTxTxlZ5yqmXP1W0X9JWv4WGhvOOg4mchZ/s1600/IMG_9051.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFvx29BlfhwAxJEEaDrk7eC5acdq5Ux0d1TZKsGHNBl2uwK6Ye9y7QbkuxYjXBhkoL4vfO9sjYfOkTIT5jAZSRW3ff6QsJVOJJQOxzn69g2d-S2bpua8pZQAMoaM8OKlpG2MR1Weu0Xxh/s1600/IMG_9057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFvx29BlfhwAxJEEaDrk7eC5acdq5Ux0d1TZKsGHNBl2uwK6Ye9y7QbkuxYjXBhkoL4vfO9sjYfOkTIT5jAZSRW3ff6QsJVOJJQOxzn69g2d-S2bpua8pZQAMoaM8OKlpG2MR1Weu0Xxh/s1600/IMG_9057.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWoxZqrwZ_iZkOCdmR1z786ei_IcOB2xwQ8AuRvyzQK-GevH8x8Oq5_SCIXLgCJuThY71_snNmLP9AW1QL0tTWjIUiunMb8DnYbClO47gOiyghLeunRAZ2VlRwUMQ57chHPiEp_ud9hqu_/s1600/IMG_9067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWoxZqrwZ_iZkOCdmR1z786ei_IcOB2xwQ8AuRvyzQK-GevH8x8Oq5_SCIXLgCJuThY71_snNmLP9AW1QL0tTWjIUiunMb8DnYbClO47gOiyghLeunRAZ2VlRwUMQ57chHPiEp_ud9hqu_/s1600/IMG_9067.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWwPlu1dsQSDSkJl5n_bkwxvjsRqMU-81XDwoc2VroAVMaSNwYLFeKZcZYQQxoql3kIv65ZZ-zDTChq7KEW5SAEpLWlbZPIhd7SR8E34JahCMo9fDRv4idXwyGYf_6sEDi6-g0UQRXl4y/s1600/IMG_9050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvWwPlu1dsQSDSkJl5n_bkwxvjsRqMU-81XDwoc2VroAVMaSNwYLFeKZcZYQQxoql3kIv65ZZ-zDTChq7KEW5SAEpLWlbZPIhd7SR8E34JahCMo9fDRv4idXwyGYf_6sEDi6-g0UQRXl4y/s1600/IMG_9050.jpg" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWeRHiLZvmjggNvydzxPpoHtsEyN7qkxBMpV9jP_QxlM6nZQrHZyedzQB2X9yFE-iqJ0eE-STZnP8JidPh0XwR8s6TwNKW7w1bSD-d51wZhTBNTfUrJ_OJxOROhRiyfjq5J8QW7zCYHLl1/s1600/IMG_9058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWeRHiLZvmjggNvydzxPpoHtsEyN7qkxBMpV9jP_QxlM6nZQrHZyedzQB2X9yFE-iqJ0eE-STZnP8JidPh0XwR8s6TwNKW7w1bSD-d51wZhTBNTfUrJ_OJxOROhRiyfjq5J8QW7zCYHLl1/s1600/IMG_9058.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.jennasuedesign.com/eat-drink-be-merry/" target="_blank"><em>Print found here</em></a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />And that is that! I love seeing the transformation. We've come a long way from mirored walls, multiple wallpapers and carpet. And it was all worth it.<br /><br /><br />Next week I'll be getting into the fall spirit with a couple crafty things. Until then, I'll leave you with a couple random tidbits:<br /><br />1) I spotted my font on TV for the first time today...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJ7oTs8GjQzC9kW6_mKrbj71nVZvfLF47LMnJ8LtfL1z3T6Sf3J4sIRleASU1bUbPxWpu9GZRja36MMkPNJfEQCLMmmBtBug3470OgQjZEuVdmdo2I5Lr63wOQ8UgBMEpTJBhVp1PZmr-/s1600/IMG_1096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJ7oTs8GjQzC9kW6_mKrbj71nVZvfLF47LMnJ8LtfL1z3T6Sf3J4sIRleASU1bUbPxWpu9GZRja36MMkPNJfEQCLMmmBtBug3470OgQjZEuVdmdo2I5Lr63wOQ8UgBMEpTJBhVp1PZmr-/s1600/IMG_1096.JPG" /></a></div><br /><br />in a Monistat 1 commercial, hah! Too funny/awesome. If only I had a dollar for every time this font was used, sigh. <br /><br />2). Tomorrow I'm debuting a new line of prints I've been working on for a while, and I'm super excited about this one. I'll be sending out a coupon code just for those who are on my <a href="http://www.jennasuedesign.com/" target="_blank">mailing list</a>, so make sure to sign up so you don't miss it!<br /><br /><br />That is all. Time to go cuddle with the family. Happy almost-end of summer :)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wgVAW4CkQJKe7F9T2TN0wW1SrDi-slD9gmVbLIZalyLM_SjovLgmJd6T5JVGN-zGsPjsUT8JqpC0Hg0bvBSKNbL2vSFE5zPRGb85uqM6xT3uwkNviMJoN_gRPvh-14Y8_L7ctp1v1IQ3/s1600/Signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wgVAW4CkQJKe7F9T2TN0wW1SrDi-slD9gmVbLIZalyLM_SjovLgmJd6T5JVGN-zGsPjsUT8JqpC0Hg0bvBSKNbL2vSFE5zPRGb85uqM6xT3uwkNviMJoN_gRPvh-14Y8_L7ctp1v1IQ3/s1600/Signature.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />

$10 DIY Wine Signs

This was a fun project. Certainly more fun than stenciling last week—and now I can check the dining room off the 100% completely done list! ...

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Stenciling = Done!

Today I can breathe a big fat sigh of relief because this stenciling project is over! <br /><br />I started Wednesday night, and continued to work on it daily until I applied the finishing touches yesterday (just hours before guests arrived to our labor day pool party). Thankfully I was able to get it all done in time, but it was not a fun task, let me tell you.<br /><br />The stencils arrived in good shape (although curled from the shipping tube), but not wanting to waste any time, I immediately got to work.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_JChHsYm6HsNHTkZMb2G9a2gP7v8tOtj7UYlZHKyqEOmBwt6I4snDrVT1lGZUb4tFWWWBcHSu6Ss8aI6Psgo51M_QGdBNkVCRaMe9HEAyXNGRrzNArBfV9eSd7lDiaVBOwmLkw63PNIE/s1600/IMG_8992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>Before proceeding, I made sure to read through the instructions at least 3x and watch every instructional video on their <a href="http://www.cuttingedgestencils.com/" target="_blank">website</a>. The corner seemed like a nice level place to start, so I carefully taped it up and began.<br /><br />The stencil was not completely flat on the wall which worried me. I was tempted to use spray adhesive but the directions insisted that this was not necessary at all, so I cautiously proceeded as normal.<br /><br />The technique I used (as instructed) said to saturate a foam roller with paint, evenly roll it out, and then make a few light passes over a paper towel to wipe off the excess.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQfMSykvS5HXAuKitpEgalrdGB8Zv9Wi6bdUNBEwIoq_NEUa-HXd6-0Co6ORStdcGttKM2Kdeibmsluys3KCsBOIkmIp8mMu0qNl6G8Ewss4EoQDMLRP7YZH05IF_lLhsKcfL62SubZ0_/s1600/IMG_9004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQfMSykvS5HXAuKitpEgalrdGB8Zv9Wi6bdUNBEwIoq_NEUa-HXd6-0Co6ORStdcGttKM2Kdeibmsluys3KCsBOIkmIp8mMu0qNl6G8Ewss4EoQDMLRP7YZH05IF_lLhsKcfL62SubZ0_/s1600/IMG_9004.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br />BTW, the color I used was the color that was previously on the walls and is also in my foyer—Valspar's Magic Spell.<br /><br />Once the roller had the appropriate paint saturation level, I used light to medium pressure to apply my first coat. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_JChHsYm6HsNHTkZMb2G9a2gP7v8tOtj7UYlZHKyqEOmBwt6I4snDrVT1lGZUb4tFWWWBcHSu6Ss8aI6Psgo51M_QGdBNkVCRaMe9HEAyXNGRrzNArBfV9eSd7lDiaVBOwmLkw63PNIE/s1600/IMG_8992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_JChHsYm6HsNHTkZMb2G9a2gP7v8tOtj7UYlZHKyqEOmBwt6I4snDrVT1lGZUb4tFWWWBcHSu6Ss8aI6Psgo51M_QGdBNkVCRaMe9HEAyXNGRrzNArBfV9eSd7lDiaVBOwmLkw63PNIE/s1600/IMG_8992.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Since one coat wasn't enough to fully cover, I had to wait ~5 minutes for it to dry, apply another coat, wait another ~5 to dry, apply a final coat, and then wait for that to dry. About a hundred times. <br /><br />After my first stencil area was complete, I nervously peeled it back to inspect the results...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_EbcsKKspD6UIng2mmzMUwRJLmoIYPHORtFOwn29tPkKKowBtzrGT8NlXRaF4fFLA-ywomtJn-CpXVce1q0Hyg2fDmNBz__DDp9l5fbPqWD1_ZDpLAq7kjvw6RRwF_-gz6KEg6k1w28r3/s1600/IMG_8993.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_EbcsKKspD6UIng2mmzMUwRJLmoIYPHORtFOwn29tPkKKowBtzrGT8NlXRaF4fFLA-ywomtJn-CpXVce1q0Hyg2fDmNBz__DDp9l5fbPqWD1_ZDpLAq7kjvw6RRwF_-gz6KEg6k1w28r3/s1600/IMG_8993.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />I wasn't thrilled. I guess I was expecting a clean smooth line, but there was just no way that it was going to happen. With the next pass, I applied spray adhesive to the back hoping it would do the trick, but there was absolutely no difference. Then I tried a slightly different roll-on approach to prevent the line seepage, but the outcome was the same every time.<br /><br />Sigh.<br /><br />The stencil manual did warn that this would be a "hand painted" look, and it was not going to look like wallpaper. About halfway through the third day I wondered if wallpaper would have been a better route to take.<br /><br />Sometimes my roller was a bit too saturated, and this happened:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMKsxNLevDtXrShlfuNDXMSxyQn03bH27bnMVWQ2gGc-F_9UX9zDhbWbVUTraDkIGRpiig3EH8J3xRx7IlNk9ZSe33PZMU_k_Nlu-iqRPXd4SHVUUsvq4LnOJs3Ruo8d1cs5FTzn1sXNa/s1600/IMG_8999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMKsxNLevDtXrShlfuNDXMSxyQn03bH27bnMVWQ2gGc-F_9UX9zDhbWbVUTraDkIGRpiig3EH8J3xRx7IlNk9ZSe33PZMU_k_Nlu-iqRPXd4SHVUUsvq4LnOJs3Ruo8d1cs5FTzn1sXNa/s1600/IMG_8999.jpg" /></a></div><br />Oh, crap.<br /><br />It ended up happening a lot more towards the end, so I started keeping wet wipes on hand to quickly fix any snafus. (take notes, those of you who are about to tackle a stenciling project!)<br /><br />The open wall areas where I could spread the full stencil out (no corners or edges in the way) were quite easy and went relatively fast. <br /><br />But there were a lot of tricky parts, too...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7oHq-5ZBJtNbEpf8hZPUlGXexsaxBLU89kGS5Dy7a4xQx9c9-vwXupsc9qX92ddOZiGfPyALhm-4-40chKnEYursoROEN3w5am6Uj0R-RLEvWvLatAYe2yCfPn9cK-LNqAXqW3tlrC8Sw/s1600/IMG_8995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7oHq-5ZBJtNbEpf8hZPUlGXexsaxBLU89kGS5Dy7a4xQx9c9-vwXupsc9qX92ddOZiGfPyALhm-4-40chKnEYursoROEN3w5am6Uj0R-RLEvWvLatAYe2yCfPn9cK-LNqAXqW3tlrC8Sw/s1600/IMG_8995.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br />I just had to be extra careful and take my time. It did get messy though. And not everything lined up perfectly from one spot to the next, so sometimes I just had to fudge it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCFUBhhjBbwJ2BuS67dnUnRL3d-KBuqLZyNIAQewERu4z06JJhIolAcyCd5A0Ldn3xMrhLEnXtIS9nAiu5hJ33jt690MThsnDkgTI4Y6CAExiR2RgLnkWmhj7ZW9IyEsGfGG7pRRxQ8T5/s1600/IMG_8997.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtCFUBhhjBbwJ2BuS67dnUnRL3d-KBuqLZyNIAQewERu4z06JJhIolAcyCd5A0Ldn3xMrhLEnXtIS9nAiu5hJ33jt690MThsnDkgTI4Y6CAExiR2RgLnkWmhj7ZW9IyEsGfGG7pRRxQ8T5/s1600/IMG_8997.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br />Here's another tip: I noticed the edges were becoming less sharp as time went on. Layers of paint had been building up on the stencil, and I tried my best to continuously peel it off but it was a losing battle. I'm pretty certain this was the biggest contributing factor to the fuzzyness. So you can either wash the stencil off every once in a while (it's kind of a pain if you are mid-project) or deal with the fuzzy edges.<br /><br /><br />About halfway through, I used up my quart of paint and had to open up a new gallon. Earlier that week I had gone to Lowe's and picked up a gallon of Magic Spell, asking the paint guy to make sure it matched the older quart I had purchased several months earlier.<br /><br />I started painting...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6JkqweIDiugye5lwG_Rjd4A3wTWqTOxTjGO38zsbF87g9y8-wPm5Qvkg93jbz67pqfScq9WbTl9ucIiEvOBtDMKOQVm9tZx0rSuWbEIFhitxPKiE71fx2-VBctI6nTGXZB1N-hdCfjsXp/s1600/IMG_8998.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6JkqweIDiugye5lwG_Rjd4A3wTWqTOxTjGO38zsbF87g9y8-wPm5Qvkg93jbz67pqfScq9WbTl9ucIiEvOBtDMKOQVm9tZx0rSuWbEIFhitxPKiE71fx2-VBctI6nTGXZB1N-hdCfjsXp/s1600/IMG_8998.jpg" /></a></div><br />and then I was on my fourth stencil move, when I noticed the paint wasn't drying as dark as it should have been.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTRhbIyhnq-BCvkFn1L6t1mxd2xrNTUEEMqsUvzY2OmWkUUPIBbVhUOLTqk5tZgdyMc1UsbQdlWS-bDt-rt0TUFlm-4vNjMRlkPyIvunM4-MdlDHtPEpNRyoHUd-TcQNWqbm67gUPKNVo/s1600/IMG_9000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMTRhbIyhnq-BCvkFn1L6t1mxd2xrNTUEEMqsUvzY2OmWkUUPIBbVhUOLTqk5tZgdyMc1UsbQdlWS-bDt-rt0TUFlm-4vNjMRlkPyIvunM4-MdlDHtPEpNRyoHUd-TcQNWqbm67gUPKNVo/s1600/IMG_9000.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br />See the lighter color at the top?<br /><br />I grabbed both paint cans to compare... and the formula numbers were <em>completely </em>different. Yeah, WTF. I was not a happy camper.<br /><br />Annoyed, I drove all the way back to Lowe's and explained the issue. The lady said that Valspar had just recently changed its formula to add more primer (great...) and she would see what she could do. Before I left the store, I practically made her swear on her life that this new paint would be an exact match, and she assured me it would.<br /><br />Luckily, she came through on her word and it was like it had never even happened (minus the 2 hours out of my day). <br /><br />I spent the rest of Saturday finishing my stenciling, and Sunday morning on touch-ups.<br /><br />Touch-ups consisted of white paint, a small brush and a steady hand. It went surprisingly well, and I was able to smooth out all of the more noticable imperfections.<br /><br />Like this really bad one...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMKsxNLevDtXrShlfuNDXMSxyQn03bH27bnMVWQ2gGc-F_9UX9zDhbWbVUTraDkIGRpiig3EH8J3xRx7IlNk9ZSe33PZMU_k_Nlu-iqRPXd4SHVUUsvq4LnOJs3Ruo8d1cs5FTzn1sXNa/s1600/IMG_8999.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMKsxNLevDtXrShlfuNDXMSxyQn03bH27bnMVWQ2gGc-F_9UX9zDhbWbVUTraDkIGRpiig3EH8J3xRx7IlNk9ZSe33PZMU_k_Nlu-iqRPXd4SHVUUsvq4LnOJs3Ruo8d1cs5FTzn1sXNa/s1600/IMG_8999.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br />After:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIjZUjo9l99-I7Avlo3gEJCJmYtO8uBGTt7k6tUTUg73_PqB8QiB79NDhu5W0IMf2ImT1hDcceMXJ985OaQIioqHeXxi02xlD6gEEsFHF6Hb6qxCnJXxemOeeqoCikxfPzyn0DZzdQaey/s1600/IMG_9010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAIjZUjo9l99-I7Avlo3gEJCJmYtO8uBGTt7k6tUTUg73_PqB8QiB79NDhu5W0IMf2ImT1hDcceMXJ985OaQIioqHeXxi02xlD6gEEsFHF6Hb6qxCnJXxemOeeqoCikxfPzyn0DZzdQaey/s1600/IMG_9010.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br />But even with the fuzzy edges, it really looks quite nice if you take a few steps back.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2IbEi1hy4O4dXPZ5G2O7_8SSR88vZ8rVVrm8scyrzDwgUDEpgafqijpXExjCg2p-OzGompbMM6TRW8dUUL76uQa_vJKqEAvpuIP9WERZq4ndmb47wqvlTCupbHt10A_C9TvsfAEMXbN-/s1600/IMG_9006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2IbEi1hy4O4dXPZ5G2O7_8SSR88vZ8rVVrm8scyrzDwgUDEpgafqijpXExjCg2p-OzGompbMM6TRW8dUUL76uQa_vJKqEAvpuIP9WERZq4ndmb47wqvlTCupbHt10A_C9TvsfAEMXbN-/s1600/IMG_9006.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaL5SSuHeq0GhuOYulQmc8p6FcnAZeVAh5E5aq47yw37H5qjOaqMpTEdIDt7bkEvFZA5ECXdhxRBclT1Yn9pAnQVagJCfqt4epBQAQat9AQ-pUELkPomAC_iNVHH1oRD9aSf8vKyGHFhDm/s1600/IMG_9007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaL5SSuHeq0GhuOYulQmc8p6FcnAZeVAh5E5aq47yw37H5qjOaqMpTEdIDt7bkEvFZA5ECXdhxRBclT1Yn9pAnQVagJCfqt4epBQAQat9AQ-pUELkPomAC_iNVHH1oRD9aSf8vKyGHFhDm/s1600/IMG_9007.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbfnYK0iEPhvDO_vqLcsLsd7erxlqsfYxr6x-QcacyOvQRKM3pzzTHX9Z73hUiklQFjlnowi95Xxk0oYuN55k7WrpFWsk_8-Ays4htepCaYTWa8Bjqnza49yX3KiZw8UXjKdMlefffYpLb/s1600/IMG_9008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbfnYK0iEPhvDO_vqLcsLsd7erxlqsfYxr6x-QcacyOvQRKM3pzzTHX9Z73hUiklQFjlnowi95Xxk0oYuN55k7WrpFWsk_8-Ays4htepCaYTWa8Bjqnza49yX3KiZw8UXjKdMlefffYpLb/s1600/IMG_9008.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1NZ9L4DOVA0zz5TVBT2rHA_SJ2If4ZkxSYTgVaBM2U6oFeCYLDVVyH4pyyehs8QjJcJj1G-OYnSAmjZ2xJonW7ZY1-9YmAlD958ojirEgwYO0yKTWRcEo1TwvW0ZzX8vhmnb15BR1IIrb/s1600/IMG_9009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1NZ9L4DOVA0zz5TVBT2rHA_SJ2If4ZkxSYTgVaBM2U6oFeCYLDVVyH4pyyehs8QjJcJj1G-OYnSAmjZ2xJonW7ZY1-9YmAlD958ojirEgwYO0yKTWRcEo1TwvW0ZzX8vhmnb15BR1IIrb/s1600/IMG_9009.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br />I had just enough time yesterday to rehang my mirror/art/sconces before the party was underway, but I still have one more project to finish. That, along with the finally completed dining room, will come next week.<br /><br />What do you think? Have I convinced anyone to take the stenciling leap, or has this made you decide that wallpaper is a better option? I definitely don't regret it now that it's done... but next time, I think I'll just try wallpaper :)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wgVAW4CkQJKe7F9T2TN0wW1SrDi-slD9gmVbLIZalyLM_SjovLgmJd6T5JVGN-zGsPjsUT8JqpC0Hg0bvBSKNbL2vSFE5zPRGb85uqM6xT3uwkNviMJoN_gRPvh-14Y8_L7ctp1v1IQ3/s1600/Signature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wgVAW4CkQJKe7F9T2TN0wW1SrDi-slD9gmVbLIZalyLM_SjovLgmJd6T5JVGN-zGsPjsUT8JqpC0Hg0bvBSKNbL2vSFE5zPRGb85uqM6xT3uwkNviMJoN_gRPvh-14Y8_L7ctp1v1IQ3/s1600/Signature.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />

Stenciling = Done!

Today I can breathe a big fat sigh of relief because this stenciling project is over! I started Wednesday night, and continued to work on it...

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