Home » Stenciling » The Christmas Nutcracker | Colorful Stencil Project

The Christmas Nutcracker | Colorful Stencil Project

When I see a Nutcracker….the soldier kind…I always think of Christmas.

nutcracker-stencil-project-red-and-turquoise

I love the bright colors and the varying “uniforms”. I remember my mom having a few as Christmas decorations when I was growing up. When I spotted the Nutcracker  Christmas Stencil on the Royal Design Studio website I fell in love.
Royal Design Studio Nutcracker Stencil Petticoat Junktion Christmas Project 2 I immediately started thinking about color combinations. Red and Blue were my top choices.

Nutcracker Stencil Royal Design Studio Petticoat Junktion project

The stencil comes in two parts which makes it so much easier to do the details!

 stencil project Petticoat Junktion

I taped the main stencil to a previously painted white board and went to work I know it looks a mess but trust me…it’s okay.

 stenciling Petticoat Junktion

See! The first layer was pretty simple. I used a variety of paints. Stencil paints work best because they are a little thicker than other paints. The secret to a good stencil job is a very dry brush. I dip the brush bristles in the paint then remove most of the paint by swirling the brush on a paper towel. If you do this one step you want have blobs of paint leaking under your stencil.

 washing stencils Petticoat Junktion

While the first layer of paint was drying I washed the stencil with soap and water. I also used a soft bristle tooth brush to loosen the paint. The clean-up is easy. I love the thickness of the Royal Design Studio stencils. I don’t have to worry about bending the cut edges as I do with some other stencils.

 how to stencil Petticoat Junktion

The second layer is for the belt, hat details, coat details, etc. I lined the second stencil up with the first layer of painted nutcracker and went to work. And that was it.

 

Nutcracker Christmas Stencil project Petticoat Junktion

You guys know I’m the distressing Queen, right? I distressed the finished nutcracker just a little.

 

Christmas Nutcracker stencil Christmas project Petticoat Junktion

It’s perfect! What do you think? Do you display nutcrackers at Christmas or remember them from Christmas pasts? You can leave a comment below…I read every single one. Kathy

Author: Kathy Owen
Kathy Owen is the founder of the home decor blog Petticoat Junktion where she shares tutorials on painting furniture and upcycling thrifty finds into unique home décor. Her DIY projects have been featured on the Home Depot Blog, Plaid Crafts, Behr Designer Series, and in numerous magazines. Kathy’s newest website is HappyHomeDIY.com

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13 Comments

  1. I love your website, his little face and all of your creativity! Happy Holidays!

  2. What a fun project and cute stencil! My daughter dances in the Nutcracker every year, she would love this!

  3. Kathy he is such a cutie! And a bit whimsical too. Awesome idea for the stencil to be split into two parts, what a help!

  4. Kathy, I love how the Nutcracker Stencils line up making it so much easier to add in the details. Thanks for sharing another great project!
    ~Tami

  5. Thank you for reviewing our Nutcracker Christmas Stencil! It’s not Christmas without nutcrackers! I know my home is filled with them when the holidays roll around!

  6. Very nice , I love Nut Crackers, I have a few that I put on my mantel every year, I have had them for over thirty years, they are real Nut Crackers from Germany. I had more, but I sold some in my shop.
    The stencil you used looks like a really good one, I’m going to check them out.