How to Stencil Creepy-Crawly Nesting Boxes | Kids Crafts

Skill level: Beginner
Time: 3 hours
Stencil Design: Download the Creepy-Crawly Nesting Boxes as a PDF.

What You'll Need

• 3 wood nesting boxes
• Fine-grade sandpaper
• Tack cloth
• All-purpose sealer
• 2-inch foam brush
• 2-inch flat brushes, 4
• DecoArt Americana acrylic paint: Primary Yellow, Tangelo Orange
• Plaid Apple Barrel Colors acrylic paint: Kiwi Green, Royal Violet
• 3/4-inch stencil brushes, 3
• Stencil spray adhesive
• Satin-finish spray varnish
  

Instructions

Step One: Sand and tack all boxes. Apply a thick, even coat of all-purpose sealer with a foam brush. Let dry. Basecoat the boxes in the following colors, using a different flat brush for each color.

Small box: outside Primary Yellow, inside Tangelo Orange. Medium box: outside Tangelo Orange, inside Kiwi Green.

Large box: outside Kiwi Green, inside Primary Yellow. Let dry; repeat.

Step Two: Position the decorative border stencil at the top edge of the box. Using a different 3/4-inch brush for each color, stencil the large box's border Royal Violet, the medium box's border Primary Yellow, and the small box's border Kiwi Green. Repeat around all sides.

Step Three: Position stencil D1 on the front of the large box, leaving enough room for three dragonflies. Mark registration points. Stencil Primary Yellow. Repeat on all sides of the box, angling the stencil in different directions for each repeat.

Step Four: Align stencil D2 on the dragonfly wings; stencil Royal Violet. Repeat for all dragonflies.

Step Five: Position stencil F1 on the front of the medium box, positioning so three will fit. Mark registration points; stencil Kiwi. Repeat around the box, angling the stencil in different directions for each repeat.

Step Six: Align stencil F2 on the frog's body; stencil the spots, hands, and feet Primary Yellow. Stencil the eyes Royal Violet. Repeat for all frogs.

Step Seven: Position stencil L1 on the front of the small box, positioning so two will fit. Mark registration points. Stencil Royal Violet. Repeat around the box.

Step Eight: Align stencil L2 on the lizard's body. Stencil Kiwi; repeat if needed for complete coverage. Repeat for all lizards.

Step Nine: To protect your work, mist the boxes with at least three coats of spray varnish, letting dry between each coat.

Bright Ideas

As is the case with many other stencils, a simple color change is enough to make you look at these designs in a whole new light. Right now, they're bold and fun, but picture them done in browns, greens, taupes, and tans.

Eeeeewww...just what your favorite little bug collector would love to see climbing, hopping, and flying all over the walls -- or, even better, on the sheets and pillowcases!

Try it with these stencil variations: