Paint your bench using stencils and two tones of paint for a dimensional look.

Painted Bench Materials:
Wooden bench
Fine-grit sandpaper
Tack cloth
Waterbased wood sealer
Trim paintbrush
White interior latex paint

Floral stencils
Two colors of acrylic crafts paints
Stencil brushes: assorted sizes
Spray-on stencil adhesive
Pencil and paper
Artists’ brushes: #6 round or 1-inch-wide flat
Glaze finish
Soft lint-free cloth rags
Waterbased finish

Painted Bench Directions:
1. Using a household trim brush, basecoat the entire chest with white paint. Let dry.
           
2. Position the first overlay of the embroidery center stencil in one bench back inset as desired and adhere with stencil adhesive. Lightly stencil with a very scant amount of the lighter color acrylic paint. Let dry. To add depth and interest, apply a second layer of the darker acrylic paint in areas where shading is desired. Let Dry.
           
3. Position the second overlay of the embroidery center stencil, carefully lining up with the already stenciled first overlay and then adhere with stencil adhesive. Stencil following the directions in step 2. Let dry. Repeat for all bench back inset panels.
           
4. For the bench skirt panels, refer to the photo on the cover for stencil placement ideas. If desired, make a template for the panel. Use a pencil to trace the selected stencil motifs onto paper, positioning them to best fit the space. Use the template as a guide when placing the stencils on the panels. Use masking tape to block out design elements that won’t be used.

5. After positioning the first overlay, lightly stencil with a very scant amount of one crafts paint. Let dry. Apply a layer of the second crafts paint in areas where shading is desired. Let dry. Position the second overlay carefully lining it up with the first stenciled overlay and stencil with each crafts paint. Let dry. Repeat for all bench skirt inset panels.
           
6. For accent trim, mix equal amounts of clear glaze base and one of the crafts paints. Use a small round or flat artists’ brush to apply the glaze to edges and trim areas as desired. Let dry. Brush a coat of blue glaze mix onto one medallion at a time and wipe with a soft cloth before the glaze dries to reveal highlights on raised areas. To create an aged appearance, apply an antiquing glaze on the entire bench. Pick up small amounts of glaze on a soft cloth and rub along the edges of all sections using a circular motion. Let dry. Brush on two coats of waterbased sealer. Let dry.