How to Stencil a Sheepish Shelf

This darling sheep brings extra charm to baby's room. You can count on it to keep treasures safe and secure.

The Sheepish Shelf makes for a cute and functional addition to your child's wallspace.­
Stencil a Sheepish Shelf.

Skill level: Beginner
Time needed: 3 hours
Stencil design: Download the Sheepish Shelf Stencil Design as a PDF.

Instructions

Step One: Sand and tack the surface of the shelf. Apply a thick, even coat of all-purpose sealer with a foam brush, and let dry. Even if you don't want to basecoat the shelf (for instance, if it's already the color you want it to be), lightly sand the surface before stenciling to make sure the stencil paint will bond.

Step Two: It's a good idea to stencil the border first so you can better position the sheep and the fence. To get the stripe stencil as close as possible to the corners of the shelf, you may need to trim the outside edge of the stencil. Mask the outer edge with tape if you need to give yourself a bigger outer margin.

Step Three: Position and stencil the shelf details in this order: fence, sheep, moon, and stars.

Step Four: Seal the entire shelf with 2 or 3 coats of satin-finish varnish to protect your work.

Stencil Variations

Want to add some extra decoration to your shelves? Try these stencil variations:

A pair of leaping sheep are perfect for the shelf­
Stencil variation

A row of teddy bears makes an excellent border.
Stencil variation

Need to keep track of baseball tryouts, soccer practice, and football scrimmage? Learn how to make a Sports Fan Chalkboard in the next section.

Want to find another stencil project? See: