Photo via: endlesslyinspired.com
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If you love the Scalamandre zebras but would like a less expensive option, try out this easy DIY zebra wallpaper tutorial that can be done in a day. As some of you may rememberâŚwhen I was making over my master bathroom, I had a dilemma. The Scalamandre Zebra Wallpaper I fell in love with the Scalamandre zebra wallpaper but couldnât justify the price for my builder-grade room. (If you also really love it, and want to splurge, you can find it at decoratorsbest.com). I contemplated doing something elseâŚor just leaving the walls just as they were (painted gray). But I really loved that zebra pattern! So in the end, I did what I usually do when my vision for the room doesnât match my budgetâŚfigured out a way to make it a DIY project. And judging by the number of questions I got about it, Iâm not the only one who might be doing this, so I thought I would share how to make my DIY version of the Scalamandre zebra wallpaper. The Hunt For A Stencil For me, trying to make something look like wallpaper when itâs not means stenciling. (Iâm not a particularly good artist, so hand-painting zebras was definitely out of the question!) The great thing about doing it yourself is that you get to customize it however you want. And I didnât really like the arrows in the original wallpaper. It seemed like they were shooting at the zebras which didnât really give me the relaxing zen feeling that I wanted for the bathroom. That meant all I needed was a zebra stencilâŚhow hard could that be? So off I went to try to find a zebra stencil. One that was big enough to make a statement, had enough character to be interesting and could be delivered to my house in 2 days. (The bathroom makeover was part of the One Room Challenge so everything was a bit of a rush.) There were all kinds of zebra striped stencils like this one* but they werenât actually of zebras. Large Zebra Stencil* Finally, I found this one. I really liked the zebraâs attitude, but it was actually a little too big and it ships from KoreaâŚmeeting my 2-day delivery deadline just wasnât going to happen. Small Zebra Stencil* And this one, which was a little too small and didnât have enough movement. Zebra Stickers* I even considered these peel-and-stick zebra wall decals*, but I didnât think I really wanted stickers on the walls in my bathroom. And I thought I was going to have to give up on my stenciling idea. Until I ran across a zebra image on Adobe Stock and decided I could use it to make my own stencil. What You Need Materials Stencil Mylar* â I used 12âł x 17âł sheets so that my zebras were a decent size Silver paint* White paint â I used a latex paint sample can from Sherwin Williams Black paint Tools Die Cutting Machine* Foam Rollers* Foam brush* Step 1: Make The Stencil I made the stencil using my Klik-N-Kut die cutter machine* (but you could use any die cutting machine that will allow you to import .jpg images) and some stencil plastic sheets*. While it is technically possible to create the stencils manually with a utility knife, I think trying to cut out all of the zebra stripes by hand would be very tedious! Looking at the Scalamandre zebras, they have a white background with black stripes. So that meant actually creating 2 stencilsâŚone for the white background and one for the stripes. To do that, I edited the original picture using Photoshop and made 2 new ones. Then I imported the images into the software that comes with the die cutting machine and set it to work! (Read the instructions for your machine if youâre not sure what settings to use for stencil plastic). Step 2: Take It For A Test Run The tricky part about using 2-part stencils is making sure you know how they are supposed to line up. To test it before I actually started messing up the walls, I used a piece of construction paper and some colored pencils. The first step is to color in the background stencil with white. Then take the stripes stencil and position it in the right place. The easiest way to do this is to line up a couple of the easy to identify end pointsâŚlike the end of the tail, the nose and the end of the zebraâs legs. Use the black color pencil to draw in the stripes. It doesnât have to be perfectâŚjust enough so that youâre comfortable that you know how they fit together. Tip: If you are using this stencil, the black lines on the zebraâs mane arenât over the white part, so donât use the back of the mane to try to line up the stencil (learned from experience). Step 3: Paint The Background I love this silver paint* that I used for the background. It has just enough shine (but not too much) and goes on really easily. For the best results, use a foam roller to roll the silver paint onto the wall. Be careful not to press too hard or you will leave roller marks in the paint. I only had to do one coat, but I was painting over gray (so there wasnât much difference in the color tone). Step 4: Decide On Your Pattern Figure out where you want the zebras to go. I did mine in a zig-zag pattern going down the wall and had each row facing in the opposite direction. You could also line them up on top of each other or have them facing all the same way. That is the beauty of stencilsâŚyou can do whatever pattern you want with them! Step 5: Apply The Background Stencil Start in a corner that is not too obvious. Behind the door is a good spot đ It may take a couple of tries to get the paint on exactly right and this way it wonât be in a noticeable spot. Put up the background stencil. I found that the stencil clung pretty well to the wall without requiring any extra help, but if yours doesnât you can tape it at the top to hold it in place. Then use the foam roller to cover the entire stencil area with white paint. This part is really easy! Lift off the stencil and move it over to where the next zebra should go. Remember to leave space for the parts of the zebra (like the tail, nose, and feet) that will be a little longer once the black goes on. If you are having the zebras face in different directions like I did, do all of the ones that are facing in the same direction first. Then go back and fill in the ones that are facing in the other direction. You will need to turn the stencil over to do this, and chances are the paint around the edges wonât be completely dry, so you will either need to wait until it is or dry it off thoroughly with some paper towel. When you have finished all of the white backgrounds, it is time to move on to the fun partâŚthe stripes! Step 6: Paint The Stripes Check to make sure that the white paint has dried on the wall. Then position the striped stencil over the white paint, lining it up as you did in the practice run. Donât worry if you donât get it lined up perfectly every time (I certainly didnât!) When they are all done, you wonât really notice it. Dip the foam brush into the black paint and wipe off all of the excess. You donât want too much paint on the brush or it will look too dark against the white and may run under the stencil. Dab the brush onto the stencil until you have covered all of the striped area with paint. Same as you did with the white paint, it works best to do all of the zebras that are facing in the same direction before moving on to the opposite facing ones. Before you know it, you will have a wall of zebras! Enjoy The Finished Look I know Iâve said this before, but I love the finished look! I had all kinds of people thinking that I had decided to go with the wallpaper. And when I didnât like the placement of some of the zebras, I was able to have a do-over. Just paint over the zebra with the silver paint, and make him again! Something you definitely canât do with wallpaper. Hopefully, you now know exactly how to make your own much less expensive version of the Scalamandre zebra wallpaperâŚall you have to do is figure out where to put them đ Have comments or questions on my DIY Zebra Wallpaper? Tell us in the section below. You Might Also Like
The Best Paint Colours (and accents) for Boys Rooms Whenever I have clients with kids there is often a struggle between what the kid wants and what the parent wants. The kids often gravitate towards colours in the âprimaryâ â aka âvisual punch in the faceâ range (blue/red/yellow), where as Moms lean towards the softer more subtle versions of these colours. And of course, there is the odd brave parent who lets their kids pick their own colours â bless their hearts. NOT THIS MOMMA! I am waaay too much of a control freak for that! And yes, these few paragraphs are copied from Best Benjamin Moore Paint Colours for Girls Rooms – I can only be so sharp and witty you know! So what do you do when you and baby-boo are at odds over paint colours? You read thisâŚ.Tips for choosing paint colours with your kids for their bedroom⌠Tip 1 DO NOT let them pick the colour they want – they are usually colour ninjas Ask them to tell you 2 different colours that they would like on their
View All Pages Prev1 of 8Next If you are planning a bathroom makeover using black and white floor tile, this list will give you some inspiration and provides the sources for the tiles. Of all of the new elements that I put in my master bathroom makeover, there are 2 things that I have had all kinds of questions and comments about. The first is the zebra stencil on the walls (I will be doing a post on how to do that). The second is the black and white floor tile. While I loved the floor tiles the second I saw them, I didnât realize everyone else would love them as much as I do! Although I probably shouldnât be surprised since black and white is a very classic color combination that goes with pretty much every style. When I was going through the process of picking the tiles, I actually saw quite a few different patterns that I liked before I settled on the one I chose. With all of the interest, I thought I would share some of those other inspiration pictures (and tile options) that I looked at. Keep reading to see the stunning ways that black and white floor tile was used in these beautiful bathrooms. Prev1 of 8Next Have comments or questions on these bathrooms with black and white floor tile? Tell us in the section below. View All Pages You Might Also Like
WELCOME Shabby Creek Cottage Readers! I am so happy to have you here today! Since I know you all love some paint, I rounded up some more paint projects that are amazing PLUS I am giving away my E-Book The Designerâs Guide to Painting Your Home! You know why? Paint is my favorite inexpensive way to completely transform a room. As you read this, I
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I donât know about you, but the New Year always gets me hyped up to tackle organization projects.  It probably has something to do with the whole new year, new start thing.  Or maybe itâs because I have a new stockpile of gift cards from Christmas burning holes in my pockets so Iâm feeling the âŚ
Itâs here! It is the big reveal day for my little girlâs modern farmhouse bedroom and Iâm super excited to show you how it turned out! After 6 weeks of preparation, planning, dreaming, shopping, and lots of DIY projects â her bedroom is finished. Iâm loving how everything came together, and sheâs pretty smitten with it too! When she first walked in she genuinely said âWow, I love it! Itâs soo beautiful. Thanks Mommy!â Um .. heart melted đ Participating in the One Room Challenge with Calling It Home this spring has been so fun. Iâll definitely be joining in again in the near future! If you can remember back to week 1, I was pretty much starting with a blank slate. There wasnât much in her room to get excited about and it had tons of potential (you know, the nice way of saying that it reallly needed some improvement) đ The lack of color, texture, and interest really led me to dream big and have a fun time planning out the space. And the 6 week deadline meant that I couldnât procrastinate on this project â which I may or may not be known to do. Accountability can âŚ
From the Simply Brilliant and Brilliantly Simple fileâŚtodayâs post is short, but SWEET! I canât believe I never thought to do something like this before. With as many mason jars as I use in my day-to-day life, being able to convert them into a dispenser of sorts is so helpful! I first spied an idea âŚ
View All Pages Prev1 of 11Next If youâre looking for ways to add style and beauty to your home but donât want to spend a lot of money, try one of these easy DIY glam decor projects. 10 DIY glam decor ideas that will make your home look stunning Iâm not really sure exactly when it started⌠I used to have a much more traditional design style with a little country mixed in (which you can see in the original versions of my master bedroom and bathroom). But looking at my recent master bathroom makeover (which I love!), it is definitely not country! And none of the other room makeovers Iâve done recently (Den, Home Office, Dining Room, Guest Bathroom) have been either. Maybe my cats are rubbing off on meâŚthey love sparkly and furry things, too⌠In any case, I guess I just have to admit it to myselfâŚI have turned into a glam queen. All of the rooms in my house now have some glam elements in them. The great thing is that itâs actually pretty easy to add glamorous decorations to a room without having to spend a lot of moneyâŚand I thought Iâd share some of my favorite DIY glam decor projects in case you want to add some of that old Hollywood feeling to your house, too. Prev1 of 11Next View All Pages You Might Also Like
The first thing I did was purchase a few closet organization gadgets. These are normally for shoes but I used them to store the cleaning products we use most. If you are thinking about doing something like this make sure to put your money in strong ones since you are going to be adding a good amount of weight to them.n As you can see this is not a huge space BUT we have room for cleaning supplies, hygiene supplies, our ironing board, vacuum, mop, broom, and more⌠So awesome!
Learn how to create this amazing DIY Coastal / Nautical Ikea Rast Hack dresser / nightstand for your beach inspired home. This simple idea and tutorial will help you get a unique look for your next furniture makeover. I made this for my sons nursery but it is perfect in any room of the home like the kids rooms, in a bathroom, hallways or bedroom. Im in love with the beautiful white finish and delicate blue sea life illustrations. get the step by step tutorial and download your…
