A How to Guide for Picket Fence Stencil Painting

Mark a level line for the base of the fence and another for the top. Use a plum line to strike a vertical lone for your first picket. (After painting the first picket, the registration system should keep you straight).

If you are stenciling the fence on a colored background, you will paint the fence using white latex paint for the pickets and gray latex paint for the shadows. No other shading is necessary. Apply the paint with a 4" (approx.) sponge roller. Apply paint to the roller then roll it across paper towels to remove excess paint. Roll the paint in towards the center of the stencil opening. The gray shadows may be stenciled suing a stencil brush or a foam applicator as the opening is much smaller.

Practice painting a few pickets on paper first. You will get the feel for the stenciling and can then place the practice sheet against the wall to make sure you like the height of the pickets. Picket height can be adjusted by overlapping the top and bottom halves of the stencil.

STEP BY STEP GUIDE

Step 1

• Using the piece of the fence marked 1 - 3 you will stencil the bottom half of the first picket.
• 
Position the base of the picket along the bottom level line that you have marked and one side of it along the vertical line that you marked.
• Lightly tape the stencil in position and with a sharp pencil, make a dot in the top of each of the triangle register marks. Stencil.

(NOTE: The Stencil Ease Triangle Registration System is explained fully in the How To Stencil pamphlet that is included with each stencil.)

Step 2

• Line up the stencil piece marked 2 - 4 with the bottom half of the picket that you just stenciled.
• If you are using the full height of the stencil, line up the triangle register marks at the bottom of the stencil piece with the dots that you marked at the top of the portion that you just stenciled.
• If you want a shorter picket, overlap the stencil with the lower painted portion until the top of the picket meets the upper lever line that you marked.
• Tape in position and mark a pencil dot in the top of the triangle register marks. Stencil as you did for the bottom portion of the picket.

Step 3

• Using piece 1 - 3, line up the stencil using the dots that you marked with the triangles along one side of the stencil.
• This will put the shadow (gray) on the picket that you already stenciled and start the next picket (white).
• To stencil the shadows on the horizontal cross pieces of the fence, use the small rectangular stencil with the register marks noted as A and B (on stencil sheet 1 - 3), stencil with gray.

Step 4

• Using piece 2 - 4, line up with the pencil dots that you marked at the side of the stencil and at the bottom.
• Stencil shadow in gray and picket in white. Stencil cross piece shadow as in step three.
• Continue with pickets in this manner for the desired length of the fence.

Step 5

• Use the piece marked 5 & 6 & 7.
• Line up the register marks on the left side of the large rectangular opening with the register marks from the last picket.
• Mark dots in the other two triangles. Stencil, this is the lower half of the front of the fence post.

Steps 6 & 7

• Using the same stencil piece as Step 5, line up the bottom two triangles of the stencil with the dots marked at the top of the section that you just stenciled.
• If you need the post to be shorter, slide the stencil down to the desired height. Stencil.
• To make the shadow on the side of the post, use the narrow rectangle on the piece marked 5 & 6 & 7.
• Line up with the register marks on the right side of the fence post. • Mark pencil dots in the triangles that don't yet have marks.
• Stencil with gray paint. Repeat this piece vertically.
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Your post will look like this after Steps 6 & 7. 

Step 8

• Use the stencil piece marked 8, line up with the register marks at the top of the post.
• It will be centered over the front of the post. Stencil with white.

Step 9

• Use the stencil piece marked 9, line up with the register marks at the top of the post.
• Stencil in medium gray.

Step 10

• Use the stencil piece marked 10, line up with the register marks at the top of the post, stencil in dark gray.