Raised stenciling

Raised stenciling is a really easy way to transform a piece of plain furniture or décor piece in your home. Applying Durham’s® Water Putty to create raised stencils is an easy technique for furniture, walls, canvas art, or wood décor. You can create a variety of raised stencil patterns on many surfaces with the help of Durham’s® Rock Hard® Water Putty. 

For stencil work with Durham’s, you will want to use a high-quality stencil that is sturdy.  Thin stencils are harder to work with and may cause the putty to bleed.  Once you apply the stencil to your surface, you will want to secure so it doesn’t move.  Mix your Durham’s Water Putty to a thick peanut butter consistency and begin applying.  You will want to use a putty or palette knife to spread a layer of putty across your stencil. Try to maintain a consistent level of putty while you cover the openings of your stencil. Once you have covered your stencil area and smoothed it to your desired look, carefully remove the stencil to reveal your design. If necessary, you can clean up any excess putty with a toothpick before the putty has dried.  

Allow the Durham’s Water Putty to completely dry before moving onto your next step which would be painting our sealing your new creation.  Also – with Durham’s, it is possible to create a custom color of putty when mixing, just add your choice of water based paint while you are mixing.  Remember, Durham’s Water Putty has a yellow hue, so keep that in mind when selecting your colors to tint. Also – do not add too much paint, it may prevent the putty from hardening thoroughly. In the images shown, we added a bright blue paint to achieve this beautiful teal color on the shadow grey canvas. The raised pattern gives depth to the wall art.  

For easiest cleanup, wipe any excess putty off your stencil and other tools while the Durham’s is still wet.  Remember, Durham’s dries Rock Hard, so it can be difficult to remove if you wait to clean up after it has dried completely.