How to Stencil Window Shade for Unique Window Treatment

Looking for an inexpensive way to add privacy to your home and cover your windows with a unique window treatment? Try this easy DIY window shade stenciling project to create the perfect one-of-kind window treatment for any room in your home.

Products and Supplies Needed

Vinyl shade and hanging brackets** Stencil design of your choice
Interior flat latex house paint Natural sea sponge
Spray adhesive (sold at craft stores)

**Window shades can be custom cut to fit your window(s). Choose inside mount brackets (sold separately) for custom designed look.

Practice and Preparation

If you’ve never stenciled before, practice on poster board before stenciling the window shades. This will give you a feel for how mush paint to use and where to place the stencil designs.

Prepare a large, flat work surface by covering it with several layers of newspaper. Then fully unroll the window shade, inside facing you, and tape down the edges with painter’s tape.

Find the middle of the shade using a tape measure and lightly mark the middle with a pencil. Repeat every few inches from top to bottom to create a center guide line for the stencil pattern.

Place and Paint

Place the first stencil design in the middle of the shade, just above the bottom hem. Very lightly mark the four edges of the stencil with a pencil. Remove the stencil and lightly spray the back of it with spray adhesive, then re-place the stencil on the window shade, lining up the pencil-marked corners.

Pour a small amount of paint into a Styrofoam plate (any old plate or saucer will do). Dampen a sea sponge and it into the paint, then lightly dapple (don’t rub, dab) it over the stencil until the design is covered. Start with a light coat of paint and continue adding until desired color and coverage is reached.

Peel and Repeat

Peel off the stencil, place it on the next shade location and repeat the painting process. Work up the middle of the shade first with the stencil design to create a road map for the outer edges of the shade. Fill in open spaces along the edges by painting a partial stencil design. If desired, stencil can be painted only across the bottom of the window shade, or as a center medallion, you control this DIY window treatment creation.

Leave window shade unrolled until dry. After shade is installed, leave it rolled down for three days to ensure the paint has fully cured.


People also view

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *