How to Stencil a Damask Design on Furniture

Want to spruce up your dresser and make it unique? Let us show you how to stencil a damask design on furniture!

I have my childhood dresser in our guest room.

It’s all white, which matches the room nicely.

After years of wear and tear and moving from KY to FL, it needs help.

Sure, I could repaint it, and it would look fabulous, but I want to make it more interesting!

The bedspread in the room has a damask design, which got me thinking!

Maybe I could add a pretty design to the sides of the dresser.

Thanks to our friends at Stencil Revolution, my idea is about to become a reality!

Let’s get this DIY started!

Gather

Gather or purchase the following items to complete this DIY:

• Furniture – a dresser
• Plastic tarp
• Cleaner – Krud Kutter
• Lint-free paper towels
• Wood filler -Minwax Satainable wood filler
• Putty knife
• Gator MicroZip sander kit
• Air Filtration mask- RZ Mask
• Vacuum
• Tack cloth-Home Depot
• Two colors of paint- Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint in Clean Canvas and Galvanized
• Paintbrush -Zibra
• Stencil –Damask Floral
• Stencil adhesive
• Painters tape
• Paint roller
• Sealer-Black Dog Salvage Show Dog Topcoat in Ultra Clear Satin

Prepare Your Furniture

Before we can add the stencil to the dresser, there are several steps we need to take to prepare.

Clean

Clean your dresser with a heavy-duty product like Krud Cutter.

Address hardware

Remove the hardware from the dresser.

Decide if you will re-use the same hardware or if you want to purchase new hardware.

I was going to buy new hardware, but my plans changed when I discovered a third hole in each drawer.

This is not the first time this dresser has been updated.

I could have repaired the holes but decided it was not worth the extra hassle.

Instead, I will paint the hardware to give it a new look and save some money!

Tip for painting hardware

Since I decided to paint the hardware, I had to come up with a way to hold the handle away from the back of the hardware.

To solve the problem, I ran a floral wire between wood blocks and slid the handles over the wire.

It worked great!

Repair and paint the base coat

Next, I repaired the dents in the dresser and painted it white.

If your furniture needs to be repaired or you need tips on how to paint the dresser, see this post on “How to Repair and Paint Furniture.”

How to STENCIL

Determine Stencil Placement

Put the stencil on the side of the dresser and center it.

Mark the stencil where it lines up with the edge.

Prep dresser

Apply painter’s tape to any parts of the furniture where you do not want the second color of paint to touch.

Keep the stencil stable

Since this is a large stencil, we will use spray adhesive on the back to keep it in place.

Lay paper in a well-ventilated area, like a garage.

Lay the stencil down with the back facing you.

Hold the can 8 to 12 inches from the stencil and spray, using a back-and-forth motion.

Adhere the stencil to your furniture and use painter’s tape to hold the edges.

Paint the stencil

Apply paint to the roller.

Offload the roller by painting over a paper towel to remove the excess paint.

You want very little paint on the roller.

Go over the stencil several times to get complete coverage.

Remember, do several light coats instead of one heavy one.

If you have a lot of paint on the roller, it can bleed through the stencil.

Remove the stencil once the paint is dry.

So far, so good!

Now, reposition the stencil by matching the design.

Offload your roller every time!

Tip: Only roll in one direction. Do not roll up and down because you might move the stencil.

Protect your furniture

If you want your newly painted furniture to look good for years to come, you need to seal it.

We used Black Dog Salvage Show Dog Topcoat in Ultra Clear Satin.

Wipe your furniture with a tack cloth.

Apply a thin coat of sealer with a brush and let dry.

Lightly sand and remove all dust with the tack cloth.

Add at least one more coat of sealer.

Dresser with a Damask Design

I’m so excited because my childhood dresser now has a grown-up look!

Doesn’t she look elegant?

Now I’m glad I didn’t buy new hardware because these handles look perfect with the damask design!

THANK YOU STENCIL REVOLUTION

Thank you for sponsoring this post, Stencil Revolution, and making this dresser makeover possible!

Stencil Revolution is a family-owned small business in Florida that we highly recommend.

They have many stencils in different styles and sizes at a very affordable price!

Be sure to check them out!

All opinions and experiences are our own! You can read our full disclosure policy here.

Another Stencil Project

If you’d like to see another project where we partnered with Stencil Revolution, check out this post on How to Transform a Table Set!

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Until next time, follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram!

Blessings, Donna and Rich

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