Jazz up a cushion cover with leftover paint

Tools and Supplies:

• 1 cushion cover (cotton or linen)
• 1 stencil
• Adhesive
• Old cutting board (to put inside the cushion cover to keep it flat)
• Leftover paint
• Paint tray
• Small roller brush

Instructions:

1. Insert the cutting board inside the cushion cover to keep the surface flat during painting.
Tip: Choose a cushion cover that is made of a tightly woven fabric like linen or cotton to prevent the paint from bleeding. Avoid polyester and velvet.
2. Spray adhesive onto a stencil and place it on the desired location on the cushion cover.
3. Start brushing the paint on.
Tip: Dab your paint brush on a paper towel to remove excess globs of paint. If you use too much, it will run underneath the stencil.
4. Peel the stencil off slowly once you are done painting. Do not wait for the paint to dry.
Tip: For this project we criss-crossed the stencil to create an "X" on the pillow. If you plan to do this, wait for the first layer to dry before stenciling across it.
5. Your project is now complete.

First published in Chatelaine.com's March 2009 issue.
© Rogers Publishing Ltd.