Stenciling a City Skyline Chair Rail

Photo credit to dph1110.

Hand-stenciled accents can be used as a unique and personally created wall artwork. There are many different styles of stencils available commercially from which you can choose, or you can create your own handcrafted stencils from blank stencil material sheets. A stenciled city skyline can add a very modern and cutting-edge look to a room, such as a game room, bedroom or family room. While you could choose to apply this stenciled design around the top edge of the room, creating a city skyline design as a chair rail can add a distinctive look, and can be easier to create due to the fact that a ladder is not required.

Planning the City Skyline Chair Rail

The first step to creating a skyline chair rail is to assess the room and decide how best to apply the skyline stenciled painting. You might choose to create the skyline chair rail around the entire perimeter of the room, or confine the painting technique to only one or two walls. Adding the skyline chair rail to only one or two walls will take less time, and is a more subtle method. You could also create a painted chair rail around the entire perimeter of the room, adding the city skyline paint stenciling to just one or two walls for an interesting coordinated effect, effectively turning the stencil into a large wall art.

Photo credit to zir_vt.

Planning the Stencil

Stencils that represent city skylines are available commercially, and can be easy to find when shopping online. Using a purchased stencil is the easiest way of creating a city skyline chair rail, since you won't need to do any of the work of creating the stencil yourself. However, if you have a favorite city or wish to use a specific city as the inspiration for your room's overall decor, it can add a nice added touch to the room if you design a city skyline that matches that exact city.

To create a custom city skyline stencil, first find a photo of the city's skyline. You can use a copier to enlarge the photo to the proper size so that the skyline is appropriate for creating the painted skyline. Then, create a tracing of the outline of the skyline, paying special attention to any signature buildings that give the city's skyline its distinctive look. You can add as much detail as you want, such as including windows, or just keep the outline basic. Once you have the outline, trace it onto blank stencil sheets that can be purchased at craft or paint stores, and carefully cut out the design with an Exacto knife. Be sure to work on a protected surface to avoid scratching or gouging the tabletop surface.

Painting the Stenciled Area

Once you have your stencil purchased or prepared, it's time to paint. Choose paint in a dark shade such as black, dark blue or deep purple for the best effect. Acrylic craft paints or standard latex wall paint tinted to the proper shade will work well for stenciling. Be sure to use a good quality stencil brush for the best effect. Secure the stencil against the wall so that it doesn't move while you are applying the paint, and remove it carefully to avoid paint smudges.

In no time at all, you will have an attractive city skyline chair rail painted on the wall.