Stencilling Tile Floors & Walls : The Real Deal

So you want to stencil over your ugly tile floor or wall? Yay! So pretty and such an economical ( and DIY) way to update tired tile! I have done two spaces, a small bathroom floor and a fireplace surround...both in my daughters condo ( circa mid 90's) We wanted to refresh without spending much until we can do some more extensive renos. I'll take you through these two small spaces and share my experience...good and not so good. If you are looking for perfection please click to the next blog on your list! If you want the real deal here you go....First the bathroom floor.

Bathroom Floor Stencil 

Painted fireplace surround with stencil

Heres a look at what we started with . Look at you current tile and figure out what you are hoping to achieve. This stile was 8x8" so to keep it simple I chose an 8x8" stencil . No rules here but this makes the most sense if you don't want the grout line showing in your pattern...this will look like real tile .(** see fireplace project for what I'm talking about re gout lines )

Before stencil 8x8 tile 

Supply list ( I'll attach a printable version at the bottom ) :

• TSP cleaner 
• stencil - I used stencils from Cutting Edge Stencils
• painters tape ** or stencil spray adhesive - see my experience with that below
• paint tray and small foam roller plus larger nap roller for base coat 
• stencil brush
• small paint brush for detail touch up ( yes you will be touching up a lot ) 
• primer 
• latex paint in FLAT ( base coat )** I used a 2 in 1  primer and base coat in white because I had it.
• top coat stencil paint ( I bought a mistint for very cheap!!)
• paper towel
• sealer- water based clear urethane
• patience

Supplies needed for floor stencilling 

1.  First step wash the area to be painted thoroughly with TSP . This gets off all the dirt and oils and gives you a clean surface for your paint to adhere to. Spend time do this and you will have better success! 

2.  Tape off your baseboards and around cabinets /toilet /door transitions etc ( my pics don't show this but I did it and removed after ....because...well patience!) 

3.  Paint your primer and then your base coat ( our base was white ) ...two or three coats depending on colors. Let dry completely!! REPEAT! Let dry completely overnight at least.

Primed and base coat

4. Tape vs spray adhesive. I'm no expert and I assumed the spray adhesive would be easier and cleaner...But after a few times with the stencil my adhesive got very painty and was making a mess so I just ended up using tape to hold it down . ( you have to wash your stencil quite often...or maybe I was just messy ...see touch ups!)

Stencil working during!

5.   Start your first stencil in center of the space and work outwards. If you are stenciling over existing tile you simply need to center your stencil on each tile. No need to use the built in stencil registration. Your pre-existing tile will dictate the placement.

6.  Roll on the top coat over your stencil with your foam roller. Again I had read using a stencil brush would make a cleaner result but I gave up on that after a couple tries and used the foam roller . It was just not enough coverage with the brush. Blot your roller on paper towel to soak up any major excess paint 

7. Go slow and gentle , spacing out your stencil so your tape and edge doesn't hit wet paint. You fill in after. They say you can just move your stencil to the next space but I found it better to let it dry abit before securing it again onto the paint. Keep your registration lines on your grid. Keep your stencil as clean as possible .

Edges and corners

**Stencil Bleed** this is going to happen. If you are a perfectionist this may not be the DIY for you. Its perfectly imperfect IMO! Ways to avoid excessive bleed....clean you stencil, don't overload your roller and let the areas dry a bit before repositioning the stencil ( I just worked other areas)

8.  Corners and edges. This is the tricky part. ( and the PATIENCE part ) . I left the toilet and the perimeter areas until last...not sure if this was right or not but I was anxious to get the big areas done . ( patience! whoops)  I just bent the stencil up the baseboard and up the toilet area and worked the roller in a best as I could. At this point you will be wishing  for DONE and will have to accept the inevitable touch ups. I did end up cutting the stencil to get in behind the toilet easier . CUT LAST FOR OBVIOUS REASONS ( unless you have extra stencils ...not a bad idea but then cost go way up!!! )

9.  Touch up...when all is dry go back over the oopsy spots and extra bleed with a small art paint brush 

Lots of touch up 

10.  Almost done! Final clear coat. In most cases you'll want to protect your newly stenciled floor with a protective clear coat to prevent it from wearing off.  A water based clear urethane is best because they don't turn yellow with age. Apply 2-3 coats for best results using a tight nap roller (1/4"-3/8") or even a dense foam roller. Never shake a can of clear coat as this can introduce air bubbles to the finish. 

Final product after painting! 

Ok so now you get the gist of the how to and see some of the pitfalls. Really though its easy, just tedious . Again not for the perfectionist!  On to the Fireplace surround...

Before : fireplace tile surround

I had way more issues with this because of the stencil we chose and all the edging. ( BIG stencil , SMALL space ) Also I don't think we primed enough . Lots of the primer/base coat lifted in spots and its a bit rough. I may have to go over this one again . I also had to cut the stencil down a ton....consider smaller stencil for smaller spaces! 

Base coat ready 

Bleed area with HEX stencil 

The existing grout made this harder to get the stencil paint even. Going for cottage shabby chic here!

I had to do ALOT of touch up on this...kinda felt like I repainted it all freehand!! I really think this would have been easier and better on a solid large floor surface!! ( and better priming )

Same tools for the job and same process . I got very impatient on the fireplace but thankfully my daughter was not looking for anywhere near perfection. And its paint...we can always paint over!! 

Fireplace : Before 

Fireplace tile stencil : After 

The floor is holding up well and is a year in . Still like the look too. The fireplace is only a couple months in and still ok. The rough spots drive me abit nuts and its a bit fadey in spots! But oh well! 

Over all a great inexpensive DIY refresh for tired tile. Floor win, Fireplace meh but brighter and ok! I give my attempts a low B grade. Def room for improvement!!

Printable supply list here  Stencil Supply List

Let me know how you have made out with your stencil projects! Or if you have any questions before you start a project!