Stenciling with Dark Soft Wax by Annie Sloan

Here at TLC Vintage Collection, Central Iowa headquarters for Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan, we are always looking for new interesting methods of using Annie's products. This week we found a parlor table that we had painted with Country Grey was a little too simple in its look. What could we do to make the top more interesting?

There is some wonderful carvey parts at the top of the legs, which I planned to accent with Dark Soft Wax, But I wanted something to carry that color to the top and change it up a bit! I love lace and doilies and immediately turned to my stencil supply, looking for a large Lace stencil by Royal Design Studio.

The entire table had already been waxed using Annie Sloan's Clear Soft Wax, wiping back the excess as we went along. However, we did not buff it,  because now it was time for a bit of magic!

We lightly taped down some edges using Frog Tape and pulled out a little shoe polish brush we like for small jobs. It was just stiff enough to work well. Unlike stenciling with paint or stencil cremes, we did not stipple on the wax. We did however use very little wax on the brush -- almost like we would when dry brushing with paint -- a little goes a long way!

So instead of the usual pouncing with a brush, we gently drew the brush lightly over the stencil. This just lightly changed the color of the exposed surface area. We also went slightly outside of the stencil so the "snowflake" like edges would show up on our table. Your stencil can be cleaned with mineral spirits and a soft cloth to remove the wax, then soap and water and rinse.

Don't you love gently lifting off a stencil to peek at your work? I do.....

Our final step is to let this rest and cure for several days before buffing or putting it out into the showroom. Our wax finish will not be fully cured for 20-30 days during the winter months when we have the heat working in the shop. A simple way to step up your game when dealing with one color!