How to Add Patterns to Home Decor for an Original Look

I removed all of the hardware which is where I noticed that a screw was missing. More bizarrely, it didn’t even have a hole for it. Possibly the piece was a product reject and that was how it ended up at a charity shop.

I started by giving the piece a quick clean with White Lightning. This was particularly important for the indentations where dust had settled.

I then scuff sanded it with fine-grit sandpaper, just to give the paint some texture to grab on to.

Dixie Belle has recently released 10 new colours in their Silk range. I often use Silk so was excited to try out their new colours.

Here’s my 16-second sneak peek video at 5 of the colours!

For this project, I chose the colour I was most excited about, which was a pink called Desert Rose.

I didn’t need to prime as Silk has a built-in primer. So, I got straight to the fun bit.

I applied the paint using a 1-inch flat synthetic brush. It needed two coats for full coverage. I love the colour. Desert Rose feels like a grown-up pink.

But as it’s a jewellery holder and will be displaying pretty things, I wanted to jazz it up a little more.

Along with the new Silk colours, Dixie Belle has also released three new stencils. I chose the Basket Weave stencil which is a Mylar Stencil.

Then I used the creamy white paint, Endless Shore, for the contrasting colour.

I’ve mentioned how I stencil accurately lots of times. Using a very little amount of paint on a sponge dabber is the most reliable method.

Here are the other important tips.

I moved the stencil a few times to cover the whole piece with the pattern. I moved it without waiting because I used so little paint that each section dried quickly.

By lightly dabbing on paint with a sponge, it built texture within the stencilled area. This gave it more dimension. Alternatively, a couple of coats would have created a solid block of colour for a different look.

To finish it off, I sealed it with Clear Coat in Satin. I chose Satin because I thought the slight shimmer would suit it as a jewellery holder.

Then I reattached the hooks and added a new hole for the missing screw. I didn’t change the colour of the hooks as I liked the dark against the bright background.

It’s a lot fresher looking now. More of a statement than the original purple, which was looking a little sad.

Making a set

This mirror has been waiting for inspiration to hit me for over a year. It cost £1.50 from a charity shop and was in perfect condition.

I prepped it in the same way as the jewellery holder, with White Lightning and by scuff sanding it.

Normally I recommend doing a base coat of the painted colour to help with bleeding edges. But with raw wood or natural coloured piece, there isn’t this paint barrier. So, you can use a coat of sealer as a base coat before the colour.

I chose to paint the mirror and not use a stencil because I wanted to create a set. Pieces that fit together but don’t have to match.

For the mirror, I used all of the same products as the jewellery holder. It’s much quicker to use the same products to prep and paint when working on more than one piece at a time.

And in this case, I wanted to use the same products to get the same colour and finish.

I added Frog Tape around the edge of the mirror before painting to make the clean up slightly easier.

I did two coats of Desert Rose, sealed it with Clear Coat, removed the tape and was done. Such as quick and pretty update to two pieces.

The finished home decor set

You can see these two are a set based on the colour, so they don’t need to be identical.

They would be perfect next to a dressing table. An affordable way to add a splash of colour and pattern.

Would you use a stencil to add pattern to home decor? I love them for their originality and how easy it is to mix and match pieces.

Want to know the 5 tools under $20 that will make your life easier?

Thanks to Dixie Belle for sponsoring the related blog post. All opinions are my own.