Before and After: An Arrow Stenciled Boys Bedroom

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Who doesn't love a great makeover story especially when it involves using stencil designs to add personality to a kid's bedroom? Little boys might be rough and tumble but they deserve a space that is as stylish as it is durable. We are excited to share a fun makeover story using one of our popular arrow patterns, the Tribal Arrows Allover Stencil. Let's take a look.
We'd like to introduce Michelle, one of our creative fans and the loving mama to three active boys. Michelle's two youngest boys, Matthew and Nicholas, share a bedroom. The room was designed almost seven years ago with warm golden hues and an animal theme in mind. Here is what the room looked like before the makeover.
The theme never quite came together and while the color combination was pretty it didn't reflect the boys' personalities. They requested a blue room that captured their playful spirit. They also wanted to remove the monkey decal from the wall since it gave them nightmares. Removing the decal was not a simple project because as it came off, it also tore off the sheetrock. Michelle realized the only way to remove the decal was to peel it off, spackle the wall, and repaint. It was a HUGE project. With Matthew's 8th birthday just days away, Michelle planned to surprise her son with a room makeover. She took to Pinterest for inspiration and found a refreshing blue and green color combination.
She painted the entire room using Benjamin Moore's Serenata AF-535. This refreshing, watery mid-tone blue suggests the openness and tranquility of a wide blue sky.
Michelle wanted to add a playful pattern to an accent wall to add depth and character to the space. This time around, she planned to use a stencil. A painted pattern is simple to apply, affordable, and easy to update as the kids grow older. She browsed our large collection of Geometric stencils and fell in love with the Tribal Arrows Allover Stencil in small, a popular arrow motif stencil.
After the walls were painted and she had her stencil in hand, she was ready to kick off her stenciling project! She chose to paint the arrow wall pattern in Folk Art citrus green and ink spot. She used blue painter's tape to hold the stencil in place while she painted the pattern using a dense foam roller.
After painting one section, she would un-tape the stencil and reposition it to stencil a new section. She did this until the pattern was complete on the accent wall.
Michelle used the clip-on stencil level to ensure the pattern was properly lined up on the wall. She found this stencil tool to be extremely helpful with her project.
Once the whole wall was stenciled, Michelle added a couple of cute decor items to bring the room together. Are you ready to see how it all turned out?
Michelle's sister and mother gifted the boys a 6 ft. white canvas teepee that they decorated with navy blue and green trim. Then the creative duo dipped the top of the teepee poles in craft paint. This playful item creates the perfect reading nook for the boys and works perfectly with the tribal stencil design.
We even spy a brightly colored orange and navy blue Shipibo stenciled accent pillow in that cozy teepee.
And here is a close-up of her stenciled wall. We love the whimsical arrow pattern paired with this vibrant color combination.
Michelle commented, "The arrow stencil really helped bring the space together. Stenciling the design was simple and the impact it made was huge. I would definitely consider stenciling again!" Here is a before and after shot of the boys' bedroom.


On the day of her Matthew's birthday, Michelle revealed the space to her boys. Here is a short video showing the reveal.
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Suggested materials:
  • Tribal Arrows Allover Stencil   (Cutting Edge Stencils)
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  • Beth Beth on Sep 20, 2016
    Hi, Great work! Now for something totally off topic, can I ask where you got those window coverings from? They're exactly the color and type I'm looking for. Thanks, Beth
  • Val Val on Jun 19, 2017

    why only for a boy's room? there are many girls who would enjoy this room as well!

  • Kristin Kristin on Jun 19, 2017

    Did you make the teepee? Would love a how-to. Thank you

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