Beautiful Birch Trees & A Giveaway!
This giveaway is now closed! Thanks!
For a long time now I’ve complained about how boring my bedroom is! Just the decorating people…
And how it’s the place that collects everything from all the piles of laundry that need putting away, to all the craft stuff that has no home, to all the toys and dirty clothes the kids (and husband) leave around.
Why is it that my room has this effect? Gah.
But, one of my Home Goals for this year is to tackle my room.
Make it beautiful.
Make it ours.
Make it a retreat.
One of the main projects I wanted to complete, was to create a feature wall of some kind behind our bed.
I had tossed around the idea of doing wainscotting, or a gallery wall or wallpaper.
I had also seen images scattered around the internet of walls covered in birch trees, and I was smitten with them!
I’m an earthy elements kind of gal so I was immediately drawn to their gorgeousness!
I’m an earthy elements kind of gal so I was immediately drawn to their gorgeousness!
Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I grew up surrounded by birch trees. Love.
But I never thought much of them again because I thought it would be too hard…so I just forgot about the idea…
…until Cutting Edge Stencils contacted me about using one of their stencils.
I had a look at all of their fabulous stencils, and lo and behold there was a birch stencil!
‘Cue angel music… ahhhhhhhhhhh’
So I absolutely agreed to try it out and give a tutorial on how we applied it, as well as our honest opinion of the stencil.
I’ll just say off the bat that we LOVE our feature wall. LOVE LOVE LOVE.
It is gorgeous and well worth the effort!
So here goes…a little glimpse into our stenciling efforts.
I have to fully disclose here that I did not put forth any effort of my own.
Yes the hubby did it all. I sat and watched. Made him some lunch. Kept the kids out of the room.
I am not ashamed. 😉
But in all honesty, for us, it really is a one-person job. Don’t need 2 cooks in the kitchen, know what I’m saying?
First order of business…I chose the Birch Forest All Over Stencil.
Check.
Then we made sure we had a clean, smooth, dust free work space.
Got our supplies together:
1 mini dense foam roller & paint tray.
1 foam brush for touch ups.
1 can of white, semi-gloss paint.
Painters cutting tape.
Cutting Edge Stencils supplies you with a level that attaches to the stencil.
This is genius!
It makes lining up the stencil as you go, so easy!
Once the stencil was level, we applied the painters tape to secure the stencil to the wall and got down to business!
Apply husband (or whomever should you choose).
Apply paint.
We found that the roller should not be drippy with paint at all. At all.
Even strokes with a non drippy roller is the way to go.
Gentle roll. Gentle roll. Until you have even paint coverage.
Remove the stencil, then start on the next section.
Making sure to line up the stencil using the markers assigned to keep things even.
You will see these markers on the stencil.
Just keep rolling, swimming, swimming…
Encourage. Clap. Whatever it takes to get this thing done before dinner time.
Just sayin’.
What we learned:
– This is a doable project. I would even say it is easy!
– Don’t have too much paint on your roller.
– Don’t rush.
– Have good lighting so all the paint is applied evenly.
– The end result is AMAZING!
Would we do it again? Heck ya.
If you would like a more in depth tutorial on how to apply stencils, check out their video…
So let’s have a look at the BEFORE shall we…
And now the AFTERS…
I’m in love. Truly.
I love this feature wall SO much.
It has completely changed the look and feel of our room!
Every time I walk in our room I smile at it.
Now I’m on a mad hunt for the perfect bedding and lamps…
____________________________________________________________________________
Now for the best part? It’s time for a giveaway don’t you think?!
Cutting Edge Stencils is graciously offering one stencil up to $50 for one winner! Whoot!
Ok, ready?!
~ Here’s How to Enter! ~
Mandatory Entry:
Go visit Cutting Edge Stencils
then come back and leave a comment in this post on my blog, letting me know
what stencil you would love to use in your home!
(And please make sure to leave an e-mail address (don’t be a no reply blogger!)
I need to be able to get in contact with you if you win!)
Go visit Cutting Edge Stencils
then come back and leave a comment in this post on my blog, letting me know
what stencil you would love to use in your home!
(And please make sure to leave an e-mail address (don’t be a no reply blogger!)
I need to be able to get in contact with you if you win!)
~ Bonus Entry! ~
Like Cutting Edge Stencils on their Facebook page.
Then come back here and leave a comment letting me know that you did.
Then come back here and leave a comment letting me know that you did.
~ Good Luck! ~
This giveaway closes on Tuesday, January 24 at 9:00PM (MST) is now closed.
This giveaway is open to the United States and Canada.
I linked up this tutorial to I Heart Naptime
Oh wow, I wasn’t sure at first, but the finished job looks great! I actually thought it was wallpaper to begin with.
Jo-Anna, lovely job your husband did with the stenciling … so clean with lots of flair. Yes I did like the Cutting Edge Stencils, as it is something I think a couple people I know might like to also know about. You should be able to sleep soundly amongest the soft whispher of branches gently blowing in the wind …
That looks amazing!!
I would love to enter your competition but I´m in Germany! 🙁
That is STUNNING! I love it!
That turned out awesome!! It is hard to choose but one of my favorites it Out of the box!
Japanese Maple Branch! I liked you on FB!
I liked cutting edge stencils on FB too!
Ooooh I’m swooning over all of them, but love the Connection and Marrakesh allover stencils best.
I also ‘liked’ Cutting Edge stencils on FB and follow you already 🙂
I love the bamboo all over stencil.
I like them on FB.
Your wall turned out beautifully! I love the damask stencils…would love to do one in my daughter’s room.
I am a fan of Cutting Edge Stencils on FB 🙂
WOW – so hard to pick, but I love the idea of doing the wall behind our bed so the first one that caught my eye was the Hand Forged Allover Stencil. I will definitely go back and look more thoroughly at their entire site.
I love the birch! We moved about 6months ago and have a huge blank wall in our bedroom…that might be just what we need!
Thanks for the chance to win!
I just “liked” Cutting Edge Stencils on Facebook!
Thanks!
Your trees look lovely!
I have a little wall I’d like to jazz up…maybe with the Anna Damask stencil? There are so many great patterns.
I’ve been thinking about that birch lately as well after seeing it somewhere. Thanks. I also like the Lily Scroll.
I liked them on Facebook as well.
Wow this is amazing… I have a home goal to reinvent our master bedroom (which infact is just a blank slate because we worked on our 3boys rooms first) this year & these stencils are the key to creating our personal sanctuary!! I’m over the moon with the Spring Songbirds but the large Tree & Birds is running a close second… Thanks for offering such a great giveaway!! Also I have them liked on my FB!!
Thank you for hosting the giveaway. I would LOVE their Kerri damask stencil.
I like cutting edge stencils on fb!
I like you on Facebook!
I like the “paisley allover” stencil!!!!!
I love the Zagora all-over stencil, so pretty!
Liked on FB!
ekparisi at yahoo dot com
That wall is stunning! I’m following you on facebook.
That is so beautiful!! I love the hand forged allover stencil.
I already like Cutting Edge Stencils on FB.
It’s impossible to choose just one, but I really like the Zagora.
I already like Cutting Edge Stencils fb page.
So, I would totally go for the birch stencil- I think it would make the perfect backdrop for our bed, too! LOVE it. (turbotuba@yahoo.com)
I love Cutting Edge stencils! I’ve been wanting to try the stencils for months now! I would like the Birch Tree stencil as well; I have a small bathroom I’d like to do this in.
I also already like Cutting Edge Stencils fb page!
turbotuba@yahoo.com
I also liked Cutting Edge on Facebook!
i have also been eyeing the birch trees for our hallway! love them!
i like them on fb!
I like you on FB!
I like Cutting Edge Stencils on FB, too!
I like the Entwined Allover stencil – it would look great in our foyer!
I liked them on Facebook as well.
I would love the Vintage Paisley for my tween daughter’s room and some geometrics for other rooms – probably Rabat, Zagora or Vision.
I would absolutely love the Zamira Allover Stencil!
And I am a follower of Cutting Edge Stencils on facebook
This looks fabulous! My sister wants to use the same stencil in her laundry room. I will make sure to direct her to your site for a chance to look at your job and possibly win one!
I LOVE both the Zagora Allover Stencil and Nagoya can’t decide which I love more
I like cutting edge stencils on fb.
I’m following Cutting Edge Stencils on FB
I like the casablanca design.
Your wall looks amazing.
omg that’s so awesome! i plan to paint at some point, but i am going to find a spot for this!! wow!!!
Amazing! I have the same wall color in my bedroom and I was thinking about about one of their geometric patterns but I am in love with those birch trees now! Thank you so much for sharing the helpful tips! Hubby did a great job!
Liked! Found you from Cutting Edge on FB. I have been eyeing the birch trees for a while, but I can’t decide if I want to paint a small wall or large wall.
I love, love, love the wall! My favorite stencil is the dandelion, but I do like nearly all of the them!!
I like Cutting Edge on Facebook (and follow them on Twitter)… 🙂
I love, love, love the wall! My favorite stencil is the dandelion, but I do like nearly all of the them!!
I have been wanting stencil my guest bedroom for quite sometime now! I love all the stencils over at Cutting Edge, but my favorite is definitely the LG Allover Rabat stencil.
I liked Cutting Edge on Facebook and would like to enter the contest. My email is mrspmock@gmail.com.
Yep!! It let me leave a comment 🙂
I would pick the Zamira all over stencil 🙂
Beautiful. Used their trellis stencil for a guest bath and love it. I want another one though! Any of the geometric ones are great!
I love the Zagora Allover Stencil and Lily Scroll Allover Stencil.
I like Cutting Edge on Facebook.
I’d have a hard time deciding between the Acanthus and Julia stencils. I’ve been eying a stencil to disguise my pocked bedroom wall for a long time!
I like Cutting Edge on Facebook 🙂
I like Cutting Edge on Facebook. I love the Duchess Damask Stencil! my email is vedwards19@aol.com
I am really excited about this giveaway. If I won I would like the Outside of the Box, Paisley Allover, Zannia Grande, or the Daisy Crazy Flower kit. I like too many to choose right now.
emertins10@gmail.com
I also follow Cutting Edge Stencils on FB.
emertins10@gmail.com
I like the connections stencil, would look great in my diningroom!
oceanluv@shaw.ca
looks fantastic. Great job!
I really like CHRYSANTHEMUM GRANDE FLOWER STENCIL. so pretty.
I already ‘like’ Cutting Edge’s FB page 🙂
That’s fantastic! I like it
I love the Japanese Maple and the Sakura trees. 🙂 Also liked you on FB 😀
Also liked Cutting Edge on FB!
Following on Twitter too!
Love the paisley but have projects waiting for spring branches. Jo @ Let’s Face the Music
I liked Cutting Edge on Facebook. Still digging spring branches. Jo @ Let’s Face the Music
I liked “A Pretty Life” on FB. I think your husband may have a new career. Such a good job! Jo @ Let’s Face the Music
I would love to use the same stencil you used the Birch Forest…I’ve been looking at it for months but just hadn’t bought it yet.
m.orga@me.com
I like Cutting Edge Stencil on Facebook 🙂
m.orga@me.com
I would like to try the Casablanca stencil.
I’m curious how you got the stencil all the way to the ceiling. In the photos, it looks like the border of the stencil leaves a border of non-stenciled wall showing, but your finished photos show the stencil pattern going all the way to the ceiling. How did you match that up so perfectly?
Great idea with the paint, tray, tools in the box .. saves on a messy floor and provides a place to clean the roller. Your husband is brilliant as well as handsome!
I would choose Houndstooth all over stencil. I love it!!
Your room looks great!
What a great product and video. I love the Allium stencil but honestly, they are all amazing.
Love the birch trees! Thanks for the tutorial. I had a difficult time picking just one…probably the bambo for my bedroom…or polka dot for my daughter’s room…or paisley allover for my bathroom…
I liked them on FB,too. 🙂
Gosh, such a tough decision. I’ve been unable to make up my mind for the last 2 yrs over what stencil I would choose……I like the Casablanca, Athena, all of the ikats, and the paisley! I also follow you via FB!
Andrea_s_russell@yahoo.com
I also follow cutting edge on FB!
Andrea_s_russell@yahoo.com
@Alibear Good Question! The stencil kit comes with a small stencil to be used to fill in the gap at the ceiling. It’s a bit tedious, but finishes it up nicely!
Jo-Anna
So many beautiful stencils to choose from, but I think I’d love the Spring Songbirds, that would look beautiful in our bedroom as well.
justusgirlsblog@gmail.com
Also liked them on Facebook as well.
Name used: LaQuita B.
justusgirlsblog@gmail.com
Ooo, I love how your bedroom wall turned out. I’d love to try the Birch Forest Allover Stencil too. OR the Casablanca Allover Stencil… both are so great!
I follow you here already and I like cutting edge on FB.
Sweetsunday@hotmail.ca
I LOVE the Sakura and Birds Wall Stencil but we are also redoing our 10yr olds room and would love to add a geometric feature wall with the ‘missing link’ stencil…fun!!!
I also ‘liked’ Cutting Edge’s FB page!!! 😉
They have so many great stencils, but I have to choose Birch Forest as my favourite. I love birch trees 🙂
I “Like” Cutting Edge Stencils on FB
Hey, we have the same duvet cover – love it! Great job T on the stencil.
I like you on FB
I follow you on Twitter
I’d love to use the Vision Allover stencil on my living room wall!
I like Cutting Edge Stencils on FB
I love the birch tree stencil! I am from a rural area and am now living in the suburbs. This reminds me of home!
I “liked” cutting edge stencils on fb.
I like the Casablanca Allover Stencil.
Love the damask stencils! Some of these pics look like wallpaper- they’re amazing and it’s great to know they’re pretty easy.
Oooh, I would love a stencil. I love the Zamira allover stencil!
I have liked them on Facebook for a while now!
I would use the Paisley All Over stencil in my bathroom. I go in there every morning to get ready for work and wish that there was some pop to it. Something to make me feel great about myself. That stencil sure would!
i’d use the bon appetit large wall stencil!
blueblanket@hotmail.com
I absolutelly love the Birch Forest Allover Stencil and have to have it in my bedroom in Iceland!!
I agree, it looks just like wallpaper.
svavaz@hraunvallaskoli.is
The ANNA DAMASK STENCIL is amazing. We just bought a house and this is just what we need!!!
I like them on Facebook
Do you think this works on textured walls?
this is amazing … love love love it … want want want it in my house 🙂 this very same thing LOVE birch trees
emailiza at hotmail.com
already follow you on FB
emaliza00 at hotmail.com