A Bird Stencil Turns a Scalloped Tin Plate Into Spring Art

This scalloped blue tin plate started out with little heart stickers beside my vintage Valentine mantel. For spring, I kept the same plate and stenciled a pair of birds on it with black craft paint. The vintage-looking rim already frames the design.

Use less paint for cleaner stencil edges

I bought the plate and bird stencil at Michaels. Center the stencil on the plate. I used the sticker from the stencil pack to hold it and steadied it with my fingers as I worked. Pick up a little black craft paint on a foam pouncer and tap it over the cutouts. You can go back over a bare spot. Too much paint at once can seep under the stencil and blur the edges.

Lift the stencil and let the paint dry. I propped the plate beside a pitcher and candlesticks to bring a bit of spring into the room. For another project using a foam dabber, see my stenciled drop cloth napkins.