Stenciling is one of the oldest and easiest decorative painting techniques, which, in no way, means that it’s awesome.  I can’t stand going into someones kitchen and seeing vines and grapes stenciled all over the freakin’ wall.  Nothing screams tacky like a classless, half-assed stencil job.  Actually, even really nice stencil jobs look pretty tacky in my opinion!  Many people try to be overly crafty and will buy a stencil to liven up their space.  However, I can thing of so many other things that would do a space better justice than a lame stencil.  You know, like maybe a mirror?  A piece of art, perhaps?

If you are thinking about stenciling ANYTHING in your house, please reconsider.  Understated elegance is far more beautiful than a crafty stencil.  Stenciling takes forever, and comes out looking like crap anyway, so you’d be really smart to consider fun alternatives.  Vinyl wall art companies have taken a more updated approach to stenciling. 

They come in funky colors and patterns to suit your personality.  They are relatively inexpensive and can really brighten up a dull room.  They peel off quite easily, making it simple to change your walls with your style.  If you are limited by living in a stupid apartment that won’t let you paint your walls (or if you’re just lazy and don’t want to), then vinyl wall art or paintable wall appliques are a great alternative to add some color and interest to your white walls.

Here are some cool links for vinyl wall art:

Walls Need Love

Lewa’s Designs

Wall Quotes

If you want something a little different, check out these paintable wall appliques:

Wallter