Stenciling an easy way to spruce up a room

The craft of stenciling is associated with early 19th century itinerant craftsmen such as Moses Eaton and Moses Eaton Jr. of New Hampshire. The father and son traveled through Maine and New England decorating walls in the homes of those who could afford stenciling services, but were not wealthy enough to afford the latest decorating craze from Europe – wallpaper. Stenciling was a way for people with modest incomes to have beautiful walls to look at.

Typical Moses Eaton patterns included the swag and pendant, also known as the liberty bell, flower basket, oak leaf, willow, pineapple and heart. Stencil colors were frequently red and green. Walls were whitewashed, or painted salmon pink, dove gray, bright yellow or yellow ochre.

Stenciling was a common craft practiced by skilled artisans and used to decorate furniture, including the backs of chairs, which were sometimes stenciled in gold with fruit and floral motifs. Other household items, including boxes, chests, trays and clocks also were stenciled.

Stenciling, with its venerable history, appears to be here to stay – for the very reason it first became popular. It’s still an agreeable, do-it-yourself way to embellish and beautify a room, a floor, furniture or household items.

Today’s stencils and supplies are readily available at craft stores and run the gamut from letters of the alphabet to art deco, with everything in between.

Recently, I ripped all the wallpaper off the middle room in my house and painted the ugly green paneling that was beneath. Then I decided to stencil a border at the ceiling edge. The color I chose for the wall is the lightest shade of yellow, so light it’s almost not yellow.

My house is a circa 1795 Cape Cod, with cozy rooms and low ceilings. I wanted a border that was in keeping with the charm and scale of the house, something light and airy, with floral overtones, but not the flowers. I chose a delicate scroll design.

I stenciled the scroll in a warm shade of old red. Instead of using a stencil brush, which has a dense flat head of bristles, I used a small piece of sponge, which worked much better in the slender lines of the scroll. My only other equipment was a small bottle of acrylic craft paint, a damp cloth, two little strips of masking tape, old newspapers and a saucer, which served as my paint palette.

The total cost to perk up the room with stenciling was under $10 and I already had most of the equipment I needed.

The stenciling I did is extremely simple, but the craft is an art in the hands of an expert as author and stenciler Sandra Buckingham shows readers in her book, “The Complete Stenciling Handbook.” In her book, she covers everything from the basics of stenciling to faux marquetry. She gives easy-to-follow advice about spacing, making guidelines to keep borders straight, layered images and stenciling to imitate textiles.

Next time I stencil, I want to experiment, as Buckingham suggests in her book, with a small roller for applying the paint. My next stencil session is fast approaching. Recently, I bought an unfinished jelly cupboard from a pine furniture maker in Bangor. I envision it stenciled with stars.

Www.mbhistoricdecor.com sells reproduction Moses Eaton stencils. Visit local arts and crafts stores to find other kinds of stencils.

The Page Farm and Home Museum on the University of Maine campus houses two collections of stencils and stenciled objects. Call the museum at 581-4100 to obtain more information.

Snippets

. A reader who makes bed dolls is seeking a source for 4-inch diameter discs made of 1/8-inch thick soft paper fiber. The discs are sewn together with yarn to make a bouffant skirt for an 8-inch doll, which were popular in the 1950s and ’60s. If you can help, write: Marion Stevens, P.O. Box 204, West Rockport ME 04865.

. “Connecting Communities by Sewing Stories: Arpilleras,” an exhibit of fabric arts from Carasque, El Salvador, with photos of people in Bangor’s Salvadoran sister city, will be on display from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday until Nov. 30 at Bangor Theological Seminary’s Wellman Commons.

Ardeana Hamlin welcomes suggestions. Call 990-8153, or e-mail ahamlin@bangordailynews.net.