5 Have you ever...

Started a home decor project that you thought would look really cool, got halfway done and decided it wasn't quite what you wanted?  That's what happened with my DIY cardboard letters.  I wanted to spell EAT on my blank kitchen wall - but I wanted the letters to be about an inch wide and 12" tall... and I couldn't find them ANYWHERE!  I could buy them online here or there, but they were either out of a letter or the shipping was too high.  Turning to my Facebook page, I got the swift kick in the butt from my readers that I needed to just make my own.  I used cereal boxes, painters tape, paper, mod podge and silver paint to make them... well, I only finished the E, but you get the drift.  I loved the end result and it was exactly what I wanted... until I put it up against my wall and decided it just wasn't doing it for me.  I already shared the tutorial on how to make those here.   Today I'm going to show you what I ended up putting in that blank space in my kitchen that I felt needed a little something.  After changing my mind on the letters I hopped onto Facebook and in my feed was a post by Cutting Edge Stencils.  I have had this running thought in my head about how it would look cool to have just a strip of a stencil running vertical on my wall so when I came across their name again it provoked me to visit their site.  Which is where I came across THE PERFECT stencil to turn my idea into reality.  It fit my kitchen style and I thought it would be a fun touch to the blank space.  Without further ado, check out my new stencil accent that I created using the Wild Berry Damask stencil by Cutting Edge Stencils:

I'm.in.love.  It adds just the touch of what I was looking for!  
And here's a close up:

 

The color is the same as the wall color with a bit of white added in to lighten it up.

This stencil was very simple to use.  I used the roller that Cutting Edge Stencils provided, as well as their level that attaches to the stencil.  The level was a BIG help with this stencil - especially since I was going vertical in the middle of the wall. I really didn't want it to be crooked!  I did about three VERY THIN coats for each (their are two patterns on the stencil) and I had to reposition the stencil 5 times.  All in all it took about 1.5 hours to complete... mostly because I had to let the paint dry before moving on to the next set.   My central vac input through me for a bit of a loop.  When I started stenciling I figured I would take the input off the wall and just stencil on through... but it doesn't - well, I think it might if I get my hubby involved to detach the wires holding it in place - and trying to stencil around it was going to be near impossible and end with a clean and crisp design so I decided to just end it there. What do you guys think?  I asked my Facebook friends and the majority said leave it as is.  It isn't bothering me... but I'm a symetrical person so it might get to me after a while.  Should I make my husband go the extra mile to remove the input and finish both the top and bottom so it goes baseboard to ceiling?  Share your opinions please!   UPDATE: the longer I look at it the more I know I need to FINISH it!  As soon as I get my hubby to take that outlet off, I'll finish and snap some pictures to share the goodness!  

Kim is a Marketing Director by day and Crafter/Blogger/Blog Designer by night. She lives with her husband, three beautiful children, and her dog and cat. You can also visit her design site, seven thirty three – – – creative blog design.  For even more seven thirty three fun, like her on Facebook or follow along via Twitter!