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DIY Stenciled Floor for Less Than $40

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. You can view my full advertising disclosure here.

September 20, 2018 by Erin 20 Comments

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This tutorial for a DIY stenciled floor is amazing! So much great information. Step-by-step pictures, lessons learned, etc. #stenciledfloor #diystenciledfloor #floorstencil

This post is sponsored by Cutting Edge Stencils. All opinions are 100% my own.

It’s week 3 of the $100 Room Challenge, and I am tackling the biggest project of all: our bathroom floor. Remember this?

Amazing step-by-step tutorial on how to stencil a floor. #floorstencil #stencilfloor #bathroomfloor

While the floor tile may look like it’s black, it’s actually a very dark navy. It felt outdated, and certainly didn’t go with the updated vanity I completed last week. My vision was to use a stencil to create the look of cement tile, without the hefty price tag.

Before we go any further, I want to thank Cutting Edge Stencils for supplying stencils to our $100 Room Challenge participants this round. While we received our stencils for free, we will still include the price in our $100 budget. I am not gonna lie, I spent a long time deciding on a stencil. I truly loved so many of them. Best part: The stencils start at only $9.95! Here are a few of my favorites:

Click for more information.

Abbey Tile Stencil
Augusta Tile Stencil
Calista Tile Stencial
Felicity Tile Stencil
Santa Ana Tile Stencil
Verona Tile Stencil

In the end, I chose the Felicity Tile Stencil. Not gonna lie, I was totally nervous, but sometimes you just have to go for it. I am going to walk you through each step in the process and share every product used. You can also find a video-style tutorial in my Instagram highlights. It has a lot of information with real-time processes and tips 🙂

Step 1: Sand the Floor

This may not be necessary if your floor already has a little texture, but our tile was glossy, so I grabbed my sander and some 150 grit sandpaper, and just went over the floor to reduce the sheen a bit.

This tutorial for a DIY stenciled floor is amazing! So much great information. Step-by-step pictures, lessons learned, etc. #stenciledfloor #diystenciledfloor #floorstencil

Step 2: Clean and Tape

I typically use TSP prior to priming/painting, but I am noticing some primers recommend that you not use it, so I just used my DIY All-Purpose Spray and a wet sponge. The whole point of cleaning the surface is to remove any debris to help the primer adhere properly to the flooring. I went over the whole floor a second time with a clean wet sponge to make sure I got all the dust from sanding the floor.

This tutorial for a DIY stenciled floor is amazing! So much great information. Step-by-step pictures, lessons learned, etc. #stenciledfloor #diystenciledfloor #floorstencil

After cleaning, I taped around the walls, tub, toilet, etc with painter’s tape. Because I had just completed the vanity a few days before, I taped and un-taped after each application to avoid the paint sticking to the tape, being that I’m sure not everything had cured yet.

Step 3: Primer… x2

I was so concerned about which primer to use on the floors. I had done a trial run with a water-based primer I already had on hand, but after it dried, I could literally peel it off the floor. I ended up buying an oil-based primer as back-up, hoping it might adhere better… but the can of water-based primer had said that it takes 7 days to fully cure. There was a small area that still had the primer on it, and after 6 days, I could not pick it off, so I decided to save a little money and return the oil-based primer (which smells terrible, by the way) and go with Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer. I applied two coats since the floor is so dark. For the application, I used a 4″ foam roller and (my favorite) Purdy paintbrush for the grout lines.

This tutorial for a DIY stenciled floor is amazing! So much great information. Step-by-step pictures, lessons learned, etc. #stenciledfloor #diystenciledfloor #floorstencil

After First Coat of Primer

Primer is not going to look amazing… even after the second coat. No worries. It’s totally fine. Primer is there to help the paint adhere, not to look pretty 🙂

Step 4: Paint the Floor… x2

I did a lot of research on which type of paint to use for this floor. You can find a ton of tutorials out there, most claiming a high-level of success. After (literally) hours of research, I decided to go with Valspar Porch, Floor, & Patio paint. The nice thing about Valspar is that it comes in a quart size, which saves a little money. Each quart cost me $12.28, and I didn’t even need the full quart. This requires a bit of patience, as you need to allow the floor to dry between coats. I used the foam roller and paintbrush once again, painting over everything. I then allowed the floor to dry for a full 24 hours. I applied the second coat, and let that dry for another 24 hours. Base color: White. (Yep. Just “White”)

This tutorial for a DIY stenciled floor is amazing! So much great information. Step-by-step pictures, lessons learned, etc. #stenciledfloor #diystenciledfloor #floorstencil

Step 5: Stencil

I cannot tell you how important it is to practice, practice, practice before taking that stencil to your floor. I grabbed a piece of foam board and tried it out several times using different techniques. I had been advised to use a stencil brush, so that’s what I started with… and I hated it. First, it was time-consuming, and second, the bristles kept falling out. Nope. No stencil brush for me. Instead, I grabbed that trusty foam roller and practiced some more.

This tutorial for a DIY stenciled floor is amazing! So much great information. Step-by-step pictures, lessons learned, etc. #stenciledfloor #diystenciledfloor #floorstencil

My practice board

Here’s my advice:

  • Practice… A lot
  • You need (almost) no paint on your roller. Run the roller over your paint tray, then roll it on a paper towel until hardly anything is coming off, and then go over your stencil. If you have too much paint, it bleeds. Honestly, I don’t think you’re going to get a bleed-free floor. I think it just happens when you are using a stencil, so you can call it “homemade-rustic” and embrace the bleed, or go back and touch it up. Up to you. The image below shows just how little paint you need. It should go on “dusty” (like a dry brush) and you just lightly roll until you get the look you desire. While it takes a bit longer to roll, it truly helps prevent bleeding.

This tutorial for a DIY stenciled floor is amazing! So much great information. Step-by-step pictures, lessons learned, etc. #stenciledfloor #diystenciledfloor #floorstencil

  • When working around the edges (where you can’t use the full stencil), I used a small round foam brush, which was helpful. I also had a small paintbrush to fill in any parts of the stencil that didn’t get as dark as I wanted, or around the edges where the foam roller couldn’t reach.
  • After using my stencil 5-6 times, I washed the paint off. While the paint never seemed to get on the bottom of the stencil, it made it easier to see the grout lines. Cutting Edge Stencils has an awesome guide for you to use if you don’t already have grout lines, but since I was working with real grout lines, I had to line things up with my pre-existing grout lines.

This tutorial for a DIY stenciled floor is amazing! So much great information. Step-by-step pictures, lessons learned, etc. #stenciledfloor #diystenciledfloor #floorstencil

  • If you happen to get paint where you don’t want it, use a wet cotton swab and simply wipe it away. It comes off easily if you catch it right away.

For the stencil color, I, again, used the Valspar Porch, Floor, & Patio paint, but this time in the color Gray Flannel.

This tutorial for a DIY stenciled floor is amazing! So much great information. Step-by-step pictures, lessons learned, etc. #stenciledfloor #diystenciledfloor #floorstencil

Step 6: Seal with Polycrylic… x3

I, again, let the stenciled floor dry for 24 hours, and now I’m going to seal it with Polycrylic. If I were doing this in my laundry room, I probably wouldn’t seal the paint, as technically, this type of paint doesn’t require it. However, this is a bathroom, and it has more water/moisture, so I am taking the extra step to seal the floor. I still have this step left to do (and it’s on my list before next week’s reveal). I plan to go with 3 coats of the Polycrylic, allowing each coat to dry before applying the next. I’m hoping the 4″ foam roller will do the trick once again, as I love how quick and easy it works on the floor.

This tutorial for a DIY stenciled floor is amazing! So much great information. Step-by-step pictures, lessons learned, etc. #stenciledfloor #diystenciledfloor #floorstencil

Ignore all the junk on the sink (#reallifediy). But look how amazing this is all going to look with that vanity!

This tutorial for a DIY stenciled floor is amazing! So much great information. Step-by-step pictures, lessons learned, etc. #stenciledfloor #diystenciledfloor #floorstencil

… and because side-by-side “before and afters” and always fun…

This tutorial for a DIY stenciled floor is amazing! So much great information. Step-by-step pictures, lessons learned, etc. #stenciledfloor #diystenciledfloor #floorstencil

Click Here to See How The Floor Held Up 1 Year Later

Couple other little updates for the week:

  1. I painted the walls using leftover Agreeable Gray paint.
  2. My husband (my hero) found a piece of matching chair rail, which was needed to replace the area where the cabinet had been. I had looked at 3 stores trying to match that chair rail, and I couldn’t find it anywhere. Husband looks in a stash of stuff left by the previous owners of this house, and finds just what we needed. Not only that, the previous owners had left the bathroom paint color as well. Yay!

Budget… So Far:

Last week I had spent $5.89 on the vanity. And here’s what I spent this week:

  • Primer- FREE (Already had on hand)
  • Paint Supplies- FREE (Already had on hand)
  • Valspar Porch, Floor, & Patio Paint (Quart Size) x2- $24.56 ($12.28 each)
  • Felicity Tile Stencil– $12.95
  • Polycrylic- FREE (I already had some, but I also found more at the Recycle Center, which was also free 🙂 )
  • Wall Paint- FREE (Leftover)
  • Chair Rail- FREE (Yay! Found an extra piece left by the previous owners)
  • Chair Rail Paint- FREE (Left by previous owners)

Total for the Floor: $37.51

Total Spent on the Bathroom (so far): $43.40

Be sure to check out how the other participants are doing using the link-up below the Pinterest image.

Week 1 // Week 2 // Week 3 // Week 4

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This tutorial for a DIY stenciled floor is amazing! So much great information. Step-by-step pictures, lessons learned, etc. #stenciledfloor #diystenciledfloor #floorstencil

An InLinkz Link-up


You Might Also Enjoy:

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  • Bathroom Vanity Makeover for Less than $25Bathroom Vanity Makeover for Less than $25
  • Creating A Weathered Look with PaintCreating A Weathered Look with Paint
  • $100 Room Challenge: Introducing the Front Porch$100 Room Challenge: Introducing the Front Porch
  • My $6.00 Vanity Makeover with Latex PaintMy $6.00 Vanity Makeover with Latex Paint
  • $100 Room Challenge: Progress & Printables$100 Room Challenge: Progress & Printables

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Filed Under: $100 Room Challenge, DIY Projects, Room Makeovers

Comments

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  1. LeAnn says

    October 21, 2019 at 1:05 PM

    Beautiful, do you think this would work on vinyl tile flooring?

    Reply
    • Erin says

      October 22, 2019 at 10:22 AM

      While I have not done this on vinyl floors, I know others that have done so with success 🙂

      Reply
  2. Rachael @ This is our Bliss says

    October 10, 2018 at 8:49 AM

    Wow! Beautiful job, Erin! It really is hard to believe that the floor is stenciled!! Heading over to your reveal now!

    Reply
  3. Sherry Cole says

    September 25, 2018 at 12:29 PM

    Erin, your floor is stunning and it looks great with the vanity color!

    Reply
  4. Jewels says

    September 24, 2018 at 7:07 PM

    Erin, This is one of the coolest DIY features I have ever seen. WOW!!!

    Reply
  5. Meredith @ The Palette Muse says

    September 24, 2018 at 10:29 AM

    Oh wow Erin it looks amazing! I know that was a lot of work, but what a transformation! Your tutorial is great, I know it will help someone who’s thinking of doing this, but wondering how. Fantastic job, can’t wait to see the rest of the room!

    Reply
  6. Beth says

    September 23, 2018 at 8:59 AM

    Erin, this turned out fantastic! That is an amazing difference!

    Reply
  7. Alayna says

    September 23, 2018 at 8:05 AM

    Looks great! I love the stencil you chose. And how lucky that you were able to find extra molding! I’ve tried to match something like that before and had absolutely no success.
    Can’t wait to see it all put together!

    Reply
  8. Deneen says

    September 21, 2018 at 2:12 PM

    Wow Erin, This looks so good!! I love the colour. So much warmer than the dark blue.

    Reply
  9. Natalie at NeliDesign says

    September 21, 2018 at 11:21 AM

    Erin! it’s amazing! I’m so glad you tested the stencil brush. I thought it would be time consumming and you’re confirming it! I also thought you were going to keep the black tiles and just stencil over it with a light color! I think you’ve made a good choice! It’s so much better than I imagined!

    Reply
  10. Jenny says

    September 21, 2018 at 6:13 AM

    That floor looks amazing! WOW!!!!! Great job!

    Reply
  11. Janis Hill says

    September 20, 2018 at 9:54 PM

    Erin – this looks incredible! Congratulations on a job well done.
    I can’t wait to see it when you’ve finished. It is going to be phenomenal,

    Reply
    • Erin Meyer says

      September 21, 2018 at 6:08 AM

      Thank you Janis! I am pretty excited for this makeover.

      Reply
  12. Laura says

    September 20, 2018 at 5:18 PM

    This looks amazing Erin!!! You should be very proud!

    Reply
    • Erin Meyer says

      September 21, 2018 at 6:09 AM

      Thanks Laura! I actually didn’t mind doing this project at all. Didn’t love working around the walls, toilet, etc. but it went way faster than I thought it would.

      Reply
  13. Jen @ Jenron Designs says

    September 20, 2018 at 2:03 PM

    Wow that floor is impressive! I knew it was going to be, but those tiles are perfect in size so it really creates great effect. I am so excited to see your bathroom next week.

    Reply
    • Erin Meyer says

      September 21, 2018 at 6:10 AM

      Thank you! I am so excited to see everyone’s reveals… and I cannot wait to have a little time to go read up on everyone’s projects. I feel like I’ve been living in this bathroom for weeks 🙂

      Reply
  14. Ashlee says

    September 20, 2018 at 11:53 AM

    Oh my goodness, Erin, this looks AMAZING!!! You did such a great job on the floors. I really want to do the DIY tile stencil floor soon! I can’t wait to see your big reveal! 🙂

    Reply
    • Erin Meyer says

      September 21, 2018 at 6:11 AM

      Thank you Ashlee! I was SO incredibly nervous that I was going to mess things up, but truly, it went much better than I thought.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 25 Stenciled and Painted Floor Tiles says:
    January 21, 2019 at 12:51 PM

    […] PAINTED BATHROOM TILE WITH STENCIL BY LEMONS, LAVENDER, AND […]

    Reply

Hi there! I'm Erin. Welcome to Lemons, Lavender, & Laundry, a place to find cleaning tips, organizational ideas, DIY projects, and budget-friendly room transformations. [Read More...]

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