How to Stencil a Geranium Window Shade

Add a splash of color to a workaday room with this design. Whether tumbling across a roller shade or sprucing up a box, these geraniums will be a perennial favorite.

The Geranium Window Shade has a lovely floral stencil design to enliven any room.
The Geranium Window Shade adds life to any room.

Skill Level: Advanced beginner
Time: 2 hours
Stencil Design: Download the Geranium Window Shade as a PDF.

What You'll Need

  • Window shade
  • Delta Stencil Paint Crème: Garnet Red, Garden Green, Basic Black, Christmas Green, Black Cherry
  • 1/2-inch stencil brushes, 3
  • 3/8-inch stencil brushes, 2
  • Satin-finish spray varnish

Instructions

Step One: Draw a soft pencil line about six inches from the bottom of the shade, making sure the line is level. Measure and mark the center of this line to determine where to start stenciling.

Step Two: Position the geranium stencil so that the mark you made is in the center of the round blossom marked "center." Tape in place, and mark the registration points. (Note: The stencil provided is only half the image. After stenciling the first half, you will flip the stencil over and stencil the other half.)

Drawing a line and marking the window shade makes the stenciling easier.
Mark the shade to keep track of your design.

Step Three: Stencil all the flowers Garnet Red with a 1/2-inch brush, keeping the paint application light. Then stencil the leaves and stems Garden Green.

Don't worry if some of the Garnet Red gets on the geranium leaves: This helps to tint the leaves, which adds depth to your painting. You may even tint other parts of the leaves with the Garnet Red brush.

Step Four: Shade the geranium leaves with Basic Black and a
3/8-inch brush. Focus on areas where the leaves emerge from a stem or come from behind another leaf or flower. Remove the stencil, and wipe it clean.

Step Five: Position and tape down the leaf detail overlay. Stencil the detail Christmas Green, and shade with a tiny bit of Basic Black and the 3/8-inch brush. Remove the overlay, and wipe it clean. Let the stencil crèmes dry completely.

Step Six: To execute the second half of the image, flip the geranium stencil over and position the center blossom on top of the already-stenciled center blossom. Do not re-stencil this flower or the one below it. They are strictly for registration. If you'd like, mask these flowers with an index card. Tape the stencil in place.

Step Seven: Repeat steps three through five to stencil the second half of the geranium pattern.

Step Eight: If you need to stretch the design to fit the width of your shade, mask everything on the geranium stencil except the last four leaves. Position these leaves at both ends of the design, adhere, and stencil.

Don't forget the leaf detail! When the design is as long as you desire, add more flowers wherever you want using the individual blossom stencil.

Step Nine: Use the small petal stencil and Black Cherry paint to define each flower. Stencil these petals (or parts of them) in several places on each blossom, letting the petals extend beyond the edges of the blossom as well.

You can use the small petal stencil to add detail and define the geranium petals.
Define the petals using the small petal stencil.

Step Ten: Finish by misting the stenciled area with at least two coats of spray varnish, letting it dry between coats.

Geranium Window Shade Variations

These geraniums can be bold and bright or soft and subtle. Work the stencil as much or as little as you like to create a rambling window "garden" or single flower motif. Create stripes of flowers, with or without the leaves, vertically or horizontally.

To make a border, you can use the stencils to make a long row of geraniums.
A long row of flowers makes a great border print.

Consider stenciling all or parts of the image on a floormat, picture frame, or towel hems. Brighten up any room in the house with this cheery design.

Looking for another stencil project? See:

ABOUT THE CRAFT DESIGNERS

Rustic Moose Lampshade from The Robins & Willoughby Collection at L.A. Stencilwork
Lovely Lampshade by Ann Kooping
Bucking Bronco Lampshade by Carol W. Bova
Geranium Window Shade by Nancy Tribolet