Stencil It : 101 Ideas to Decorate Your Home

Stencil It is a celebration of the virtually limitless decorative potential of a fabulously creative craft form. Author Helen Morris, one of the founders of internationally renowned company The Stencil Library, reveals her favourite ideas for stencilling anything in your home - whether walls, wood, fabric, furniture or floors. She shares her inventiveness, enthusiasm and preferred techniques to demonstrate the endless effects that can be achieved with just a little imagination and know-how. Using a range of different paints (including metallic and glitter) as well as gilding, varnish and plasterwork to create a textured finish, Helen presents a collection of diverse projects for any surface, including cushions, cards and even cakes. A far-reaching techniques section is followed by chapters explaining how to do specific projects, divided into 'Flowers and Foliage', 'Figurative', 'Birds and Beasts', 'Architectural' and 'Decorative Details'. Helen demonstrates the methods used and provides a list of ingredients required to achieve each design, as well as illustrating how one stencil can be used in different ways to create dramatically different results. The book also includes 20 exclusive, specially commissioned templates. Stencil It is a gallery of inspiration, featuring gorgeous images of different styles and designs. Covering architectural features, letters, flowers, foliage, birds, butterflies and more, Helen explains both how to choose a design to complement your existing interior, and how to use stencils as a springboard for creating a whole new look.

Helen Morris founded the Stencil Library in 1988, when she recognised a gap in the home-decorating market for the type of stencils that her husband Michael Chippendale, a graphic designer, made and used in his work. Since its launch, The Stencil Library has built an international reputation and an impressive catalogue of more than 4000 stencil designs, offering a wide range of global, historical and contemporary decorative styles. The company regularly creates new collections to reflect public demand. It also produces bespoke designs and has cut stencils for royalty, politicians and celebrity clients. Helen and Michael run their business from their home, Stocksfield Hall, in Northumberland. A showcase for their work, the house is frequently featured in magazines and on television, and is open to the public occasionally. The Stencil Library blog (www.designinspiration.typepad.com) was launched in 2007, to provide inspiration and information about stencil-related decoration along with the more photogenic aspects of life at The Stencil Library.