Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-02
FOR HOME DECORATORS
What Can Be Done With Pot of Paint and
Stencil.
Amateurs Have Chance to Show
Skill and Taste-Mater.
ials Needed.
Written for The Evening Star.

Few women realize the usefulness OF
stencil and a pot of paint in beautffy-
ing old furniture or making decorative an
otherwise hopelessly plain wall For
long time neglect has been the fate of this
useful and simple decorative art. It's very
simplicity seems to have been to its disad-
vantage among those who admire an effect
in proportion to the trouble 1t has cost
Stencil painting is almost purely mechani-
cal; one need have no knowledge of art
at all to put it in use. n The only matter
where taste is required is in the selection
of pattern and the application of colors
The work of stenciling is nothing more nor
less than applying the colors through the
perfOrations In a piece of stout paper or
cardboard cut into the pattern desired.
Stenciling plates may be purchased In
shops where mural painters supplies are
sold. Amateurs may cut out their own
patterns If they are satisfied with simple
ones. The designs can be first drawn on
the paper and then cut out. To cut out
the pattern. take a piece of cartridge paper
about foot and half long and one foot
wide, leaving small margin. say one inch.
Transfer the pattern from the sheet of
paper on which it is drawn to the stiff
board by the simple method OF tracing 1t
over carbon paper
Before cutting out it is a good plan to
| take soft black pencil or a paint brush
and color the pattern as 1t Will look on the
wall; then take a sharp penknife or pair
of fine scissors and cut all Of the colored
portion of the pattern out, so that space
! corresponding to the design is left on the
paper. In cutting out the pattern notice
| where the taking away of a part Will re-
move the support of some piece that should
| remain. and where that is the case leave
| a strip of paper between the edges of the
divided portions of the paper, so that one
Will not become detached and fall out of
| the design. These strips should be cut to
show as little possible In the paint.
| Where the pattern is an elaborate one it
Is always better to first cut out the pat
| tern on thin paper, and. when 1t has been
proved satisfactory, transfer 1t to the
thick paper.
Have Plenty Patterns.
AS the patterns get wet with paint In
Using them, 1t is always better to have
several copies of each. so that one may
| be laid aside to dry while another is being
used as there is danger of getting some
Of the paint smeared upon the wall If
wet pattern is used Sometimes, when the
design is large and lengthy one. all the
figures cannot be got to one sheet of
paper. In that case the pattern is con-
| tinued on another piece, the beginning OF
the second sheet repeating a bit OF the
end of the last design, that 1t may be
| laid over and matched with the first part
of the design the wall.
| When n wall is to be stenciled by an
amateur, 1t should always be put in proper
condition before the paints are thought of.
| If water colors are to be used in the work,
| the wal! should be a smoothly plastered
one, kalsomined the color most in harmony
with the stencil tints TO be put on.
TIMBER. light red, terra vert, robins egg
blue goblin blue, fawn, pearl gray, ecru
and ochre are good shades for the ground
work. Pale colors the best for use in
| apartments. neutrals being preferable for
Railways and vestibules. Subdued colors
are always in better taste than gay ones,
as the wall, being only a background for
he liff11 md ntI ..r "a
room, is meant to attract as little atten-
ton as possible. Before the color is put
on, the wall, where rough should be mend
ed with plaster of paris and then brushed
with a mixture made by dissolvng a pound
of glue in about a gallon of hot water in
which Is also put small quantity OF red
lead and drier, When this has dried. apply
Il mixture consisting of colorfng and three
pounds of whitening. The mixture is made
by covering the whitening with water I'M
til the Jumps have been reduced to paste,
the water being poured off when the whit
ening is dissolved. This paste is then
mixed with powder the color of the ground
tint of the wall Enough for the entire
wall must be mixed at time, as 1t is
scarcely ever possible to get the same tint
twice. The mixture should be allowed to
stand until II looks like jelly. when 1t
should be rapidly and accurately put on
the wall as retoGching will spoil 1t.
When the background is dry, the lines
between which the pattern is to come
should be marked on the wall with a foot
rule
Both water colors and oils are used for
stenciling. Oil gives "A deeper and richer
effect than the water colors. Where there
is any question of the wall being damp.
oils are preferable. for the reason that
they are more durable With the use of
water colors the expense Isl less, and where
there is no need for special effect the water
colors will do. as they impart more delica-
cy to a design.
The stock ON Hand.
To put on the pattern in waters, buy the
coors in powder. Also purchase some sig
ing. stencil brushes Chick handled and
with strong hairs, made especially for the
purpose). a stencil knife, a mahlstick and
some knotting varnish When oil colors
are used there required. besides these,
patent driers. linseed oil, turpentine and
Japanners' gold size. Then a T stick. a
lead weight, a foot rule. pots to hold the
pant and some string are to be added.
rake the pattern and hold 1t while the
coiors are being applied between the lines
marked out on the wall. Combinations of
color are best decided by individual taste.
contrast is preferable for those who are
doubtful of their skill in combining shades.
1t may be we'll also to experiment by APP
plying the Background and afterward the
pattern colorS to pieces of thick cartridge