So, it has been a loooong time since I have written anything.
I recently completed paining and decorating my hallway. I know.... YAWN!!!
However, this hall was a dump. The walls were in terrible condition and the track lighting only had on canister that worked. It was really bad.
I have a close, intimate relationship with the clearance section and the "oops! paint" section at Home Depot. I found the lighting fixture that I used in the clearance section for a whole $13.95. The paint that I used cost $17.00. Of course, I needed wall patches and primer, but luckily, I already had them on hand.
My favorite thing that I have done is a new technique that I applied in the hallway. It is called texture stenciling. OH... this adds such a unique touch to any paint job and it only adds about $10.00 to your painting job. The color can be mixed into the joint compound before you apply it to the stencil form, or you can paint the finished stencil after it has dried (I painted after the compound dried). All you need is a stencil that you really like, putty knife and joint compound.
Here's how you do it:
1) Prime the area that you are going to apply the technique and allow to thoroughly dry.
2) Mark out where you want to apply each stencil with a pencil.
3) Tape the stencil to the area.
4) Spread the compound over the stencil using the putty knife. Be sure to fill in all cut-outs. Remember, that this does not have to be perfect... a few flaws adds a lot of character.
5)Let the compound set for a few minutes so it will harden a bit.
6) GENTLY remove the stencil and tape from wall.
Viola! You have a beautiful texture stencil. The beauty of this is that if you mess up... you can just wipe it off and start over.
Well have fun and be creative with it!
