Annie Sloan Stencils Mexican Birds inspired by Annie’s love of traditional Otomi embroidery and design from Mexico. Otomi folk artwork centres on themes of native flora and fauna, hence the birds and tropical flowers used here.

Traditionally, the Otomi people use bright clashing multicolours to bring joy and colour to their homes, which we think works wonderfully with this design. Alternatively, use tonal shades for a more subtle statement.

Annie Sloan specifically designed the stencil range to be easily customisable to different pieces of furniture, different decorative themes, and for different personalities. You don't have to use the whole stencil design! Choose part of it, all of it of mix it up with other stencils.

Material & Sizes

Made from a durable, washable, semi-opaque plastic (250 micron/10 mil Mylar) making them reusable for multiple projects. The opacity allows for you to monitor your stencil application as you go and correct mistakes sooner rather than later!

Either A4 or A3 depending on the design.

Aftercare: Clean the stencil by soaking in warm soapy water and gently rub off the paint without scrubbing.

Best Practice For Successful Stencilling

As always with stencilling, whatever your tool, the golden rule is not to overload the brush or roller. Dab off the excess, don't rush, build up the layers if you want fuller coverage rather than apply a thick coat. This will prevent paint from “splodging” out of the edges and compromising your design. It’ll also keep the rest of the stencil cleaner for longer which will help prevent smudging. When repeating a stencil over furniture or walls, be sure to wipe off excess paints as you go to avoid smudging when moving stencil around.

How To Use Annie Sloan Stencils

Ensure the base paint is throughly dry
Tape your stencil in place using delicate masking tape.
Decant Chalk Paint™ onto another surface such as a small plate or tub
Roll or stipple with either Annie Sloan Sponge Roller or Stencil Brush. Remove excess before applying over the stencil dab off or roll out a couple of times onto another surface such as cardboard or paper towel.
The less Chalk Paint™ you have on your roller / brush the crisper your design will be.
Allow to dry and repeat before moving the stencil if you want more depth and coverage
Carefully lift stencil once the design is touch dry, line up your stencil overlapping the last application slightly to help with lining the repeat pattern. And repeat application
Apply Chalk Paint Wax or Lacquer once completely dry protect your design

Pro Tip from Annie: "Sometimes, after applying stencils, I like to use a small detail brush and go in with other Chalk Paint™ colours to pick out elements of the design. It immediately makes the stencils look richer and hand painted!"

Annie Sloan Stencils Mexican Birds - A4