With just the right balance of cuteness and sophistication, this gorgeous floorcloth is a showcase of stenciling at its very best.
Skill Level: Intermediate +
Time: 8 hours
Stencil Design: Download the Kitty Floorcloth as a PDF.
What You'll Need
- Preprimed artist canvas duck fabric, 32-3/4 x 49-1/4 inches
- Pencil
- Tape measure
- Painter's tape, 2-inch-wide
- Scissors
- Plaid FolkArt acrylic paint: Buttercup, Pink, Bright Pink
- Accent acrylic paint: Blue Bonnet
- DecoArt Americana acrylic paint: Hauser Light Green, Soft Black
- Delta Ceramcoat acrylic paint: Medium Foliage Green, Bahama Purple
- Plaid Apple Barrel Colors acrylic paint: King's Gold
- 1-inch stencil brush
- 1/2-inch stencil brushes, 3
- 1/4-inch stencil brushes, 4
- 1/8-inch stencil brushes, 3
- Spray or brush-on acrylic varnish
Instructions
Step One: Measure and mark a 4-inch border around the edge of the canvas. Divide the area inside this border into fifteen 8-1/4-inch squares in a 3x5 grid.
Step Two: To mask off the 7 squares that will be painted yellow (refer to above project photo), unroll the painter's tape, cutting off 8-1/2-inch strips as you go. Place the lengths of tape along the lines marked on the canvas and press firmly, overlapping at the corners. At this time, mask off a 4-inch square in each corner of the border as well.
Step Three: Starting at the outside edges of each square and working inward in a smooth, circular motion, stencil these 11 squares Buttercup with a 1-inch brush.
Step Four: Position the floral stencil in the first yellow square; tape in place. Using a 1/2-inch stencil brush, stencil every other row of flowers Pink. Apply two coats for complete coverage. Stencil the remaining flowers Blue Bonnet with a 1/2-inch brush; repeat. Stencil the leaves Hauser Light Green with a 1/4-inch stencil brush. With a 1/8-inch brush, add a dab of Medium Foliage Green on the tip and base of each leaf. Repeat in all yellow squares.
Step Five: Position the circle stencil in the center of each flower, and, using a different 1/4-inch brush for each color, stencil Bright Pink on the Pink flowers and Bahama Purple on the Blue Bonnet flowers.
Step Six: Remove tape from all yellow squares.
Step Seven: Mask off the two squares to be painted purple (refer to photo). Stencil both squares Blue Bonnet with a 1/2-inch brush with the same technique used in step three.
Step Eight: Position the checkerboard stencil in the top left corner of either of these squares; stencil Bahama Purple with a 1/4-inch stencil brush. Reposition the stencil, aligning it with already-stenciled checks, and repeat. Repeat in second square; remove tape.
Step Nine: Next, mask off the border. (Mask off the four corner squares to protect them.) Stencil the border Pink with a 1/2-inch stencil brush. Position the stripe stencil so the stripes are perpendicular to the edges of the canvas. Using a 1/4-inch brush, stencil the stripes Bright Pink. Reposition the stencil all the way around the border, using the last stenciled stripe as a guide. Leave the tape in place; it will serve as 1 edge of the stripe between the border and the center of the floorcloth.
Step Ten: Place another line of tape all the way around the border 1/4 inch to the outside of the tape from step nine. Stencil this stripe Bright Pink with a 1/4-inch brush.
Step Eleven: Center the cat design stencil in a white square with the cats' heads toward the inside of the mat; tape in place. Stencil the cats Buttercup with a 1/2-inch brush. Leave stencil in place; let dry to touch. Position the checkerboard stencil over the large cat. Stencil King's Gold with a 1/4-inch brush. Repeat on the small cat.
Step Twelve: Stencil the flowers Blue Bonnet with a 1/4-inch brush; repeat. Stencil the flower stems and leaves Hauser Light Green with a 1/4-inch brush. Shade the stems and leaves with Medium Foliage Green on a 1/8-inch brush. Stencil the outside stripes of the bees King's Gold with a 1/8-inch brush and the wings, heads, body stripes, and antennae Soft Black with a 1/8-inch brush.
Step Thirteen: Center the facial feature overlays on each cat, and stencil the eyes and mouth Soft Black and the nose Bright Pink.
Step Fourteen: Repeat steps 11-13 in each white square. Let dry; remove all tape.
Step Fifteen: Position the button stencil at the corner of 1 of the squares. Stencil Bahama Purple with a 1/4-inch brush; repeat for complete coverage. Repeat button in all 4 corners of all squares.
Step Sixteen: Center the "x" stencil in each button; stencil Blue Bonnet with a 1/4-inch brush.
Step Seventeen: Follow manufacturer's instructions to seal the floorcloth with spray or brush-on acrylic varnish.
Bright Ideas
Create a riot of texture and color, or stencil a single cute motif. All or parts of this stencil would look great as framed wall art. Stencil just the cat design onto white matte board, and embellish a frame with flowers, stripes, checks, or buttons. Imagine a series of pictures hung in a row -- each with a different-color cat and a uniquely embellished frame.
Have another stencil project in mind? See:
ABOUT THE DESIGNERS
Flowers & Ivy Nook from The Robins & Willoughby Collection
Garden Butterfly Border by Nancy Tribolet
Faux Wallpaper from The Robins & Willoughby Collection
Kitty Floorcloth by Donna K. Hrkman