Dandelion stencil design

After finishing my dandelion art I have become quite attached to designs that feature dandelions. Not only are they extremely easy to paint onto almost anything, they look so delicate and pretty.

 

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This old secondhand chest of drawers needed some minor repair work and painting. Katie at impatiently praying for patience took on the task of fixing up the drawer unit and painting in a soft shade of green with a dandelion stencil... lovely.

Old paint can easily be removed with Plascon RemovALL and then it's just a case of sanding to remove any scratches. If there are gouges or dents that need fixing up, grab some Alcolin QuikWood to fix these up. You will find practical tips for using QuikWood here. Smaller scratches can be sanded away using 80- and then 120-grit sandpaper, before finishing with 180- or 240-grit sandpaper for a smooth finish. Wipe away any excess dust before you move on to painting.

Apply two coats of Plascon Enamel Doors & Trims if you want a high-gloss finish, or Eggshell Walls & Trims for a satin finish. I'm recommending these paints as they are both designed to take knocks and bumps, which makes them perfect for this type of furniture. Obviously, you can use your own choice of paint if you prefer.

You will need the main colour for painting the chest of drawers, as well as a small tin for the dandelion stencil design. Print out and enlarge the dandelion design below and transfer this onto a sheet of acetate or stiff plastic.

If you can't find acetate, glossy card works just as well. Remember to cut extra for the stem of the dandelion. Use masking tape to stick the dandelion stencil onto the front of your piece to be painted.

A foam roller works best for painting the stencil onto furniture, but you do need to have some rags or newspaper handy to roll off excess paint. If you don't roll off excess paint it will bleed under the stencil. Because you are only going to apply a thin layer of paint, you don't have to wait too long for the first coat to dry in order to apply a second coat.

GOOD TO KNOW
Wrap the foam roller in clingwrap when not in use. Because we are using enamel paint, cleaning the foam roller inbetween is not an option. Lacquer thinners will destroy the foam roller. If you wrap the roller in clingwrap while waiting for coats to dry, the roller will last longer and can be disposed off when you're done.

You can reposition the stencil as desired to add as many dandelion designs as you like onto the front of your piece. For this project, two dandelions were stencilled onto the front of the chest of drawers.

 

You will find this stencil at cutting edge stencils and it can be used on furniture, walls and fabric.