Total Time Needed: 2-3 Hours
We think that you shall never see a stencil lovely as a tree. With a few simple branch and leaf patterns, you and your kids can create a single stately elm or transform an entire wall into a lush forest of laurel. You might even add a few hooks to hold plush tree dwellers, like owls or squirrels.
Materials
- Manila folder
- Craft knife
- Paper towels
- Chalk
- Paint
- Pencil
Instructions
1. Cut a manila folder in half, then use paper towels to rub each piece with a light coat of vegetable oil (it makes the paper more durable and flexible). Let the oil absorb for an hour or so.
2. On one folder half, draw a few simple leaf shapes. For a more traditional stencil look, draw the two sides of the leaf, leaving a vein down the center.
3. On the other folder half, draw various branch sections. Use a craft knife to cut out your leaves and branches.
4. Lightly outline a large tree shape on the wall with chalk. Begin stenciling clusters of leaves and connecting branches, alternating between the two and moving from spot to spot to allow the paint to dry. We used two shades of green for the leaves (letting them mix on the brush) and brick red and a darker brown for the trunk and branches. When the paint is dry, wipe off the chalk outline.
Crafts
