5 min readWithout a doubt, wallpaper is back in fashion. But not everyone wants to spend $150 plus per roll. That’s one of the reasons that stamping and stenciling are finding a resurgence.
“Stenciling came into fashion in the late 18th century through 1840; however, the practice did continue after 1840 and is still done today,” says Mary Emery Lacoursiere, Artistic Director of Heritage Craft at the Nantucket Historical Association. “Wall stenciling provided color and patterns to walls and can be found throughout New England in every type of room.”
This historic, economical solution is used by tastemakers and DIY creators alike. All you need is a rubber stamp and a few hours. For those who prefer traditional patterns, Emery Lacoursiere suggests adding borders to the ceiling and baseboards with alternating large units that would run vertically down the walls. “Motifs were often inspired by nature using leaves, fruit, and florals,” she adds.
Contemporary styles can be more whimsical, like sailboats or beetles, as the creators below have shown. Read on for stamp wall and stenciling inspiration, and you can transform an entire room in just a weekend.
Replicate Historical Motifs
One of the most recognizable names in American stenciling is the father-son team Moses Eaton and Moses Eaton Jr. They traveled through New England working on walls for customers who couldn’t afford European wallpapers. To retain this history, the 1800 House on Nantucket asked local artisan Christina Wiggins to replicate the work, adjusting it to size.
“The method in execution was similar to that of the original artists’,” says Emery Lacoursiere. “The walls were washed in a bright color, and all the patterns were applied through stencils with a soft brush.”
You can make your own stencil using Mylar or vellum, by drawing a motif and using scissors or a small knife to cut out shapes that will be painted. “Stencilling speaks to the history and the period no matter what pattern is used,” Emery Lacoursiere adds. “It is an economical way of working as once the stencils are created they can be used repeatedly for many applications.”
Use Two Stamps
Artist and woodworker Cassidy Eck of Stone Mill and Co. points out that stamp “wallpaper” gives a room such a charming and vintage aesthetic, and this DIY is a “much better story than saying, ‘Oh, it’s just wallpaper.’”
To make the stamps look like actual wallpaper, Eck had her heart set on a two-toned floral look. “I love wallpaper but felt like the stamps would not only be quicker, but way more affordable,” she says. She made her own stamps to utilize different colors without having to clean up in between. Eck also made a cardboard template.
“Not only could I place the flowers perfectly in a grid, but the two-part stamp would align correctly as well,” she explains. “The template was a total game changer. Not only did the template save me from placement mistakes, but it really made the project go quicker since I didn’t need to measure anything out.”
Make It Personal
When content creator Rebecca Stevens of @rebeccas_brocante_cottage found out she had roots in England, leaning into the cottage charm of a stamped wall made perfect sense.
“I chose a Queen Anne’s Lace stamp because it reminds me of my sweet Gram,” she says. “There was a field of them on the corner of her house, and as I visited her often throughout her last days, I’d stop and gather a handful to cheer us up.”
Use Primary Colors
“This stamped wall was one of the easiest DIY projects I’ve ever done,” says artist Taelyn Crosby, who used a $3 floral stamp and a palette of craft paint. While each stem was painted green, she used primary colors for each flower, wiping the stamp clean in between applications.
“To create a balanced look, I alternated the colors so no two matching florals were next to each other and slightly varied the pattern from row to row,” Crosby says. “I started by measuring the spacing with a ruler, but quickly realized I could eyeball it and achieved a more relaxed, organic feel.” It only took her three hours to complete.
Match the Paint Color
While creator Hilary Rose Bodiford of @byhilaryrose isn’t against wallpaper, when it was time to design a third-floor bathroom, “wallpaper didn’t seem worth the effort.” To achieve the look, she used leftover Sherwin-Williams paint (Debonair SW 9139) on the wainscoting and the sailboat stamp that nodded to their New England home. “There’s something really precious about a nautical kids’ bathroom,” she says. “It feels nostalgic to me as a ’90s kid who grew up with tropical fish bathroom decor everywhere.”
Her best application tip: Less is more. Bodiford placed paint in a small dish and made sure the stamp wasn’t dripping. “I was using my finger to apply a thin layer,” she says. Initially, she used a piece of paper to maintain even spacing, but this tactic only lasted so long, and Bodiford eyeballed the rest of the design. “I ended up loving the final result,” she adds.
Recreate Botanical Stripes
Owner and creator Rebecca Wright of @shophale.ca wanted to create a playful design for her son’s bedroom. So, she used wall stamps to create a trellis. “Having a background in Irish dance and my son being a St. Patrick’s Day baby made clovers the obvious choice,” Wright says.
Opt for Organic Cottagecore Motifs
When traditional block print paper is not in your budget, try the organic placement of a small floral. Creator Kaitlin Guither of @kaitlindeanna wanted to give her laundry a “timeless and imperfect” pattern. She used a $4 stamp and applied Sherwin-Williams’s Niebla Azul over Pure White walls.
“Keeping everything monochromatic helps the pattern feel subtle and layered,” she says. “This was supposed to be a temporary solution until I could afford wallpaper. Once it was finished, I loved the character it added so much that I completely abandoned the wallpaper plan.”
Line It All Up
For a half-bathroom in a rental property, DIYer Anna Julian of @renorowhome chose a WildStamps beetle stamp because she wanted “something fun and different.” Julian used a laser level and tape measure to get the pattern.
“It took a long time, so I'd suggest going with an abstract design to make it faster,” she says of the six-hour stamping project. This DIY involved rolling the paint onto the stamp, but a waterproof ink pad could work just as well.
