how to make DIY screenprinted stencil WALLPAPER

Every Sunday there was an enormous pot of marinara sauce bubbling on the stove in my grandmother’s kitchen. Those afternoons, she and I played cards at the kitchen table. Every so often she would dip a few thick-crusted pieces of Italian bread in the pot, which held us over until cousins, aunts and uncles poured into the house for dinner. While she plotted her next move or stirred the sauce I stared behind her at my favorite wall in her house, the one bursting with yellow and orange daises circa 1967. My love for wallpaper started in that kitchen and never wavered. A lifelong renter, my leases expressly forbid wallpapering of any kind, which is why I sought out a DIY solution. Not only is stencil wallpaper perfect for renters or those who just can’t commit (since it disappears with a coat of paint), but it’s simple and inexpensive. The possibilities are endless, since you’re the designer. The inspiration for my floral pattern is those afternoons in my grandmother’s kitchen and looking at it now, I can almost smell the tomatoes and garlic simmering.

*this project was originally published in graffiti beach but we loved it so much we thought we’d share it here.

what to get:

-water-based screenprinting ink

-screenprinting screen

-screenprinting squeegee

-plastic spoon

-card stock

-exacto knife

-scissors

-clear packing tape

-cutting mat (you can also use a piece of cardboard)

-sharpie

-temporary spray glue

what to do:

1. Choose a design for your stencil and draw it on a piece of card stock. It’s best to keep it fairly simple since you will have to cut it out with an Exacto knife.

2. Carefully use the Exacto knife to cut out your design on the card stock to create your stencil.

3. Tape off about an inch around the inner edges of the screen

4. Spray one side of the stencil with the spray glue and adhere it to the flat side of the screen.

5. Tape the stencil down making sure to tape all the way to the edges of the screen.

6. Mix your color.

7. Put a few spoonfuls of ink along the top of the non-flat side of the screen.

8. Press the screen flush against the wall and use the squeegee to spread the ink over the whole screen. It’s best the use a bit of force to ensure you push the ink all the way through the screen.

9. Pull back the screen being careful not to smudge your wet stenciled design on the wall.

10. Repeat steps seven and eight to create a pattern with your stencil.