Stenciled Pillows Made Easy

Today, I want to share with you how to easily stencil a pillow cover. If you had a chance to see our post on Monday, you’ve already seen the canvas drop cloth we bought at the hardware store and then dyed to look like washed linen.

We almost always buy pillow covers or make them using a simple envelope technique because the pillows can be taken out and the covers washed with minimal effort. Anytime you have pets, littles or lots of movie nights being able to remove the pillow covers easily is a must. These are gray on the front and the oatmeal color of canvas on the back.

I’m using the same Otomi stencil we used on the curtains in the dining room on these pillows because one way you can make your home feel cohesive is by repeating elements from one room to the next. We have an open floor plan so you can actually see the dining room from the breakfast nook. Here’s a look at how you can stencil your own pillow covers…

Make sure to protect your surfaces by placing a tarp, drop cloth or garbage bag underneath your work area.

Place a piece of cardboard inside the pillow cover to protect the paint from seeping through to the back of the pillow.

Then place the stencil on top of the pillow cover

and secure in place with painters tape.

Use a stencil brush or roller to apply paint (I’m using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Pure White watered down just a bit) taking care to roll any excess paint off the brush or roller before applying it the stencil.

Once you’ve gotten the desired coverage, carefully lift the stencil off the pillow cover.

Allow to dry completely before placing pillow insert inside the cover.

Depending on amount of paint you’ve used your fabric may feel a little stiff. In this case, you may want to consider using a piece of 200 grit sandpaper and lightly sand over the stencil.

Keep in mind this could cause the stencil or paint to look rubbed or weathered so use a light touch.

I’m planning to leave this stenciled pillow in the breakfast nook and I’m considering making a few for the entry and the living room too.

As you can see we changed out the antique walnut cabinet for the piece I painted from my childhood set. You can read about that makeover here.

It’s really helped to make this entire area seem more streamlined. We’ve also made a few changes to the coffee bar so I’ll share with you next. Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Many blessings,

CoCo