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    Home » Easy DIY » DIY Home Decor Ideas

    January 16, 2017 | By Jami

    How To Stencil A Drop Cloth Shower Curtain

    How to easily stencil a drop cloth shower curtain to give your home a perfectly sized, custom designer look for pennies, no matter how long you need it to be.

    How to Stencil a Drop Cloth Shower Curtain

    Some links in this article are affiliate links and if you click on them I will receive a small commission at no cost to you.

    Want an easy way to refresh your bathroom? Change the shower curtain. It's by far the biggest thing in the room, so it usually sets the tone for the rest of the room. Um, unless the rest of the room is a loud, colored tile - that would pretty much grab all the attention.

    Unfortunately, shower curtains are not cheap, especially if you'd like a larger curtain to cover more of the bath like I did. But painter's drop cloth is, and it's a favorite of mine for making slipcovers and roman shades in the past, but this is my first time using it for a shower curtain.

    There was nothing wrong with my old shower curtain, but I was tired of it and ready for a change. Can you relate?

    Easy, DIY Stencil Drop Cloth Shower Curtain

    Before we get to the tutorial, I want to let you in on my biggest tip to be able to use whatever you want as a shower curtain (perfectly sized fabric like this or even pre-made regular curtain panels:

    • Simple curtain rings with clips make it easy to create your own shower curtains- any size you'd like - without worrying about button holes or grommets. 2-inch rings with clips are sufficient to slide over a standard shower curtain rod, though sometimes I've needed to remove the end pieces first and push them back on after sliding the rings on.

    For the liner, you can purchase an extra long fabric shower liner (and hem if you need) that you clip to the same curtain clips or you can add another spring-loaded bar below the full curtain that holds a regular fabric shower liner. I really love long shower curtains- I think they help add a decorator touch to the bathroom, but yours can be any size you'd like.

    How to Stencil a Drop Cloth Shower Curtain

    Supplies Needed

    • 9x12 painter's drop cloth (this will work for most bath sizes, you'll need at least 72" wide for bathtub openings and up to 84" long for that decorator look)
    • sewing machine, thread, etc. (unless the cloth is the perfect size out of the package)
    • painter's tape or masking tape
    • self-locking tape measure
    • 4 oz. acrylic craft paint in your color of choice (I used a creamy white)
    • 2 oz. fabric painting medium
    • home decor stencil (here are some choices similar to mine, be sure to get the kind where you paint inside the openings)
    • stencil brush or roller
    • spray adhesive

    How to Stencil a drop cloth shower curtain-preparing cloth

    Instructions

    1. Prep the drop cloth. Measure your space and buy a cloth closest to the size you need (the 9x12 will work for most standard tub openings). The edges will be sewn already, but most likely will be crooked. If you're OK with that, move along to the stenciling. Otherwise, the easiest way to make sure your edges are straight is to rip the cloth- it will naturally tear with the grain.

    1a. Sew hems as needed. Turn under the raw edge, iron, and sew a simple straight stitch. Turn under a larger hem for the top- it's a more finished look. Iron and sew close to all edges.

    DIY Stencil drop cloth shower curtain-preparing to paint

    2. Mark the cloth for the stencil. Divide the curtain into even rows with painter's/masking tape. Then decide the pattern you would like: the stencils all even on top of each other or alternating like I chose (I thought alternating would look less linear when it was hung and show the pattern no matter where the folds of the curtain were). The pattern I used is an alternating pattern of five-four, so I measured my stencil and the cloth width, divided the width by five and placed the first row of tape markers in the middle of the stencil width. After the first rows I just eye-balled the placement.

    3. Spray the edges of the stencil with adhesive. Let it dry for a few minutes so that the bond will be temporary. Using adhesive instead of tape really helps speed the process along.

    4. Mix the acrylic paint and fabric painting medium. Follow package directions, which is typically a 2:1 ratio of paint-to-medium (I used 4 oz. of craft paint to 2 oz. of medium, which was more than enough for this project).

    5. Set up paint and stencil brush station. I simply used a paper plate with paper towels - whatever you use, it needs to be easily moved with you as you work along the cloth. A stenciling roller may work better, but I was using what I already had. Do what works for you!

    Painting a Stencil drop cloth shower curtain

    6. Place the stencil and paint. Start in the middle of the marked rows, center the stencil on your mark and then raise the edge to remove the tape marking before stenciling. Stencil by blotting the flat end of the brush on the paper towel, though not until totally dry, and then pouncing/pushing onto the stencil. The fabric soaks up paint, so you'll need more paint on the brush than you might think.

    TIP: As I was stenciling, I always thought it was seeping under the edges and that it was going to look awful. Always. And then I'd pull it off and it looked fine- really. It's not perfect, but stenciling isn't usually - and it's certainly not noticeable on a large curtain with repeating motifs.

    You can see in the lower-left photo how I placed the stencil in the alternating rows of five and four (actually, you only see three and two, but you'll have to trust me on this).

    In the lower-right photo above is a close-up of one of the stencils that may encourage you- stenciling is truly not hard and even the mistakes that occur (see the blurred line on the right?) are not a big deal.

    Update your bath with a Stenciled Drop Cloth Shower Curtain

    Especially in light of the whole pattern. Believe me, no one will notice the little quirks and mistakes.

    The only thing the mistakes do show is the fact that you've created a one-of-a-kind item that sets your space apart from everyone else's. That's right, it's one more instance where we embrace imperfection around here!

    Easy Stenciled Drop Cloth Shower Curtain

    I love, love how this turned out! The neutral colors are just enough to subtly show a pattern, but is never busy and it goes with everything.

    I hope this encourages you to try your hand at stenciling your own drop cloth shower curtain for one-of-a-kind decor!

     

    Disclosure: affiliate links in this article will earn commission based on sales, but it doesn't change your price. Click here to read my full disclaimer and advertising disclosure.

    About Jami

    Since 2009 Jami Boys has been helping readers live a simple homemade life through whole food recipes, doable gardening, and easy DIY projects on An Oregon Cottage. From baking bread, to creating a floor from paper, to growing and preserving food, Jami shares the easiest ways to get things done. She's been featured in Cottages and Bungalows, Old House Journal, and First for Women magazines as well as numerous sites like Good Housekeeping, Huffington Post, and Apartment Therapy.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Reet says

      September 03, 2020 at 2:06 am

      Hi Jami, greetings from Down Under (Australia), this is a fab tutorial & while I don’t need shower curtains as I have glass screens in the shower stall, this will be great for an easy curtain to have in a corridor opening to keep out drafts during winter. Thank you again for this wonderful tutorial.

      Reply
      • Jami says

        September 03, 2020 at 4:39 pm

        Yes, it would work wonderful for that, Reet - so glad this is helpful for you!

        Reply
    2. JaneEllen says

      January 03, 2018 at 3:08 pm

      I really like how it turned out also. Using white paint on the neutral curtain makes it possible to use any color towels in the bathroom, I like to switch color towels often. Really love look of neutral curtain.
      I will need to adjust size as would be making shower curtain for a shower stall. Will be making this shower curtain hopefully by Spring for a fresh look. Like to start off Spring with fresh embellishment of some kind, never know til impulse hits me. Will be looking for just the right stencil til then.
      Good tutorial on placing stencil correctly, very helpful..
      HAPPY NEW YEAR

      Reply
      • Jami says

        January 03, 2018 at 3:57 pm

        This will be a great spring project, JaneEllen - I hope you enjoy the process.

        Reply
    3. Ivory says

      December 21, 2017 at 5:28 pm

      This is absolutely fabulous. And thank you for the wonderful, simple step by step tutorial Happy Holiday's. I am joining this beautiful site of yours.

      Reply
      • Jami says

        December 22, 2017 at 9:57 am

        Welcome, Ivory - I'm so glad you found this useful! Glad to have you as part of the AOC community. 🙂

        Reply
    4. AndiW says

      January 16, 2017 at 2:39 pm

      Wow. Really nice. Thank you!!

      Reply
    5. Wendy says

      November 23, 2016 at 11:14 am

      No need to treat with anything ( clear coat etc) after stenciling ? As long as I'm using a plastic liner of course

      Reply
      • Jami says

        November 25, 2016 at 11:56 am

        I didn't and it looks the same years later, Wendy. Since I use a liner it's only washed 4 times a year and the stenciling has held up nicely. I think it may be due to the fabric medium?

        Reply
    6. Sarah says

      August 23, 2013 at 2:21 pm

      Found you on pintrist! What an awesome idea! I think I am going to "drop cloth" all over my house!

      Reply
    7. Sherry says

      January 31, 2012 at 2:07 am

      I saw your feature on Whisperwood Cottage and had to come by and friend you. I am a fellow Oregon Cottage Lover! Your shower curtain is great! I've done some ivory burlap curtains and I'm hmmmming and haaaaing about whether I should stencil them..
      I think it's more about the fear of choosing the wrong color than anything. I love what you've done.

      Reply
      • Jami @ An Oregon Cottage says

        January 31, 2012 at 2:12 am

        Well, hi fellow OC lover, thanks for stopping by. 🙂 Ivory burlap is so pretty! What about just painting the stencil the regular tan burlap color, then it would be about the opposite of my shower curtain? Still subtle...

        Reply
    8. Amy @MaisonDecor says

      January 24, 2012 at 12:13 pm

      Found you on the Blogher feature page~I really like this! I wonder if the fabric medium helps the paint not be totally sucked into the drop cloths too? I saw some other bloggers tried to paint drop cloths and it just kept absorbing all the paint~great project! Did you have to spray adhesive each time you placed the stencil down on the fabric or only once?

      Reply
      • Jami @ An Oregon Cottage says

        January 25, 2012 at 12:41 am

        Thanks, Amy! Good thought about the fabric medium. I just sprayed the stencil at the beginning and it helped adhere to the fabric through the whole process.

        Reply
    9. [email protected] says

      January 10, 2012 at 5:05 pm

      This is the second fabric stamping tutorial I've read this week! I think it's fate! The design universe wants me to do this on some surface in my house! And I find it really hard to find a good (not expensive) shower curtain, so thanks! 🙂

      Reply
    10. debbie refresh restyle says

      January 10, 2012 at 9:29 pm

      Thanks for mentioning me! I got my idea from that expensive curtain at Ballard Designs! have a great week!
      Debbie

      Reply

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