Pssst: if you’re looking for this weekend’s party, it’s here.

So…I’ve been talking about the various rooms in our house that are almost done for a while now. And the list is long: our bedroom, the upstairs sitting room, the playroom/schoolroom, the boys’ room, Della’s room, the master bath…phew! There are more, but I refuse to list them right now lest the prospect of all the details that go into finishing those almost-there rooms overwhelm me and result in an unfortunate incident in which my husband and children find me huddled in a corner in the bathroom alternating between sucking my thumb and consuming massive amounts of chocolate.

Because nobody needs that.

Instead, I’m going to focus on small victories, like finishing a fun stenciled dresser for Della’s big girl room—a feat I accomplished thanks to Cutting Edge Stencils Hand Forged craft stencil (the small size).

In case you missed it, you can check out my other Cutting Edge Stencils projects (hint: it involves the words “polka dots” and “washing machine”), where I raved about how simple the process was.

Of course, I was using a very uncomplicated stencil, so this time around, I wanted to try something a little more intricate to see if the process remained user-friendly.

Turns out, it did.

Here’s a before shot of the dresser I wanted to redo:

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Cute enough, but definitely lacking personality.

And here are my supplies:

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    • Stencil
    • Painter’s tape
    • Paper towels
    • Paint tray
    • High density foam roller
    • Detail brush

Cutting Edge Stencils included the handy-dandy roller and brush, and the stencil comes with a helpful, mercifully short list of instructions. Honestly, it all boils down to this: DON’T USE MUCH PAINT! If you follow that one simple rule, you’re golden. And the only time I had any trouble with bleeding or smudging was when I got too careless or hurried and forgot to make a few passes across the paper towel with my roller before applying it to the dresser.

If you’re a visual learner, here’s a great video on the basic correct stenciling technique. 

I did this dresser in stages as part of last week’s “busiest project week ever” push to get a lot done, so the lighting in each picture is a little different.

Here’s a lovely, yellow nighttime shot as I’m getting ready to stencil the front (note the paint-smeared surface of the stencil. You can just keep right on trucking without cleaning between uses).

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And here’s a progress shot after I’d finished the first coat on all the drawers:

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I don’t really know how long the entire process took because I spread it out so much, but I do know that stenciling the drawer fronts with two coats (if you’re doing it right with minimal paint, you can immediately go back over the first pass) only took about 20 minutes.

The red knobs weren’t doing it for me, and I wanted a little more sophisticated look anyway, so I gave the flower knobs a quick coat of gold spray paint:

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Better, no?

I had the hubby hang the butterfly punch art I’d made for Dellla’s old room (because I am seriously handicapped when it comes to hanging things symmetrically on walls; it’s kind of embarrassingly bad), snipped a few flowers left over from last weekend’s wreath party decorations, swiped some accessories from my master closet makeover, and—WALA!—one more “little thing” got checked off my list!

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I love the interplay of the busy pattern against the soothing aqua background!

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Remember that Pottery Barn capiz shell chandy that I scored for a song using my retail haggling techniques? I found the perfect spot for it!

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I love that every bit of the “art” and decor you see here costs about $15. 

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I bought a huge bunch of these carnations for only $2 at the grocery store as they were clearing out their Easter leftovers. That pink color just makes me happy!

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Speaking of happy, chubby white ceramic Dollar Store animals are pretty much instant smile-inducers (oh, and that little bird knob is from Hobby Lobby, in case you were wondering).

So, do I like how Della’s stenciled dresser turned out?

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No.

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I LOVE it!

Seriously, y’all. I went into this project not knowing quite what to expect from the finished product (after all, that is one busy stencil), but both the stenciling experience and the results far exceeded my expectations.

Hoooowaaaaaay! (that’s Della’s new exclamation every time she especially likes something).

And get ready for more cheering because, not only do I get to reap the benefits of Cutting Edge Stencils stylish, easy-to-use designs, but so do you because, together with CES, I’m giving away the stencil of her choice to one lucky reader!

Here’s how you enter to win:

1) Head on over to Cutting Edge Stencils and pick out your favorite design, then come on back and leave me a comment on this post about which one you would choose if you won.

2) Fill out the easy Rafflecopter form below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

That’s it!

Happy entering and HAPPY Friday!

P.S. Be on the lookout for a Shop My Closet pop-up sale this weekend, along with an update on Sarah, our PCM sponsor child.

Linking up here:

It’s Overflowing

Monday Funday

0 Comments

  1. Stenciling is such a great idea. I LOVE wallpaper but do not/can not commit to the cost. This I could do. Love it! I especially love the Zagora for my bedroom, or the Moroccan Tiles (painted in two colors of course) for my kids’ bathroom. BE.YOU.TI.FUL!

  2. That dresser is amazing. I love the stenciled pattern and the handles are awfully cute too. You styled the space well and I can’t believe you got all those goodies for decorating so cheap. Love it!

    Lisa @ the thrifty challenge

  3. I love, love, love it! Maybe I should have put caps on all of those loves? Really, it looks so good!

    Ok, so this is a total side-note. You know the light fixture in that pic? Do I remember reading you got it for a serious bargain at Anthro? Anyhoo, I have ONE of those flower things that make up the fixture. I know that’s weird, but I just noticed it. I bought it at a yardsale and thought it was some sort of vintage flower candle holder or something. I guess I just bought it because it was pretty, and now I notice your light is made out of a bunch of them. Crazy! Hope you are doing well! I miss reading about your life and linking up at your party. I took a break from linking and from Google reader, but am ready to get back on board with it all 🙂 Blessings and thanks for linking up at Monday Funday!!!

  4. Gorgeous! I have a similar secretary I picked up to turn into a lego desk for my son…such a functional piece. And you have added real character and beauty to it! Thanks for sharing,
    Krista @thehappyhousie

  5. I think I would pick the Casablanca stencil, but if I won I might change my mind and my husband might not like that one. I love all the projects I’ve seen different bloggers create with the stencils! Your dresser is beautiful!

  6. as usual, i find it impossible to choose just one….

    lily scroll…alessa scroll, gabrielle damask, birds of paradise 1,

    any of the dandelions or zinnias…

    but probably… the favorite? the birds and birdhouse… I’d put it in the studio… i’ve always wanted the dandelions tho for my master bedroom….

  7. Love that dresser! What brand/color of spray paint did you use on the knobs? Starting a project soon and that’s the exact color I had in my head! Thanks!

  8. Oh my so many beautiful stencils, but I’ve been looking for one for my laundry room and I think the butterfly bloom No3 is it. So fun!

  9. That dresser is totally awesome!! 😀 At the beginning of the post, I was excited about a new stencil project. I have LOVED your previous ones! And then as I kept reading, I got more and more excited until you revealed the completed dresser and I *almost* squealed. At work. With my boss sitting a few feet away. That was a close one.

    I really like the MARRAKECH TRELLIS ALLOVER STENCIL! Oh yeah! 😀

  10. Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t view the Cutting Edge website… it just keeps coming up blank :/ I love love LOVE the one you chose, though, so that’s probably what I’d get 😉 Della’s dresser is delightful!

  11. Chevron stencil. Chevron stencil. Oh, did I mention, chevron stencil! It’s been a while since I’ve checked out their site and I haven’t seen this one yet!!

I love hearing from you guys!