Homemade Wall Stencil

I wanted to try my hand at stenciling a pattern on my wall - one problem. Any stencils I liked were too expensive for my budget of $0.  So I decided to try making my own.

Once I decided on what shape I wanted, I traced it out onto a cereal box and then cut it out. Techy right?

Then I simply traced the shape onto the wall.  I used chalk to do this, having learned my lesson using pencil in the girls bedroom.  I'm sure if you go in, you could still find pencil marks on their walls.  Plus the great thing about using chalk is if you make a mistake, it'll just wipe right off. 

At first I tried using a level to be sure of straight lines, but quickly ditched it.  I found it just too time consuming to use.  Instead I took a chance that I could manage a straight line on my own.

Using a tiny brush, I painted right over the chalk lines.  Tip: Do not use colored chalk unless it matches your paint color. Another lesson learned.

Before

 
I'm really pleased with how it turned out. Since I only stenciled these two small walls, it took only a few hours.  The pattern helps to hide any imperfections.  I wanted to create an illusion of an entryway and I think this accomplishes that. 

I apologize for the poor picture quality.  I didn't really want to do any close ups since I still need to repaint my finishing and doors.  I'm still in the process of hanging frames, etc... but will share more pictures soon.