Have a big family heirloom you’d like to have on display? Check out this easy stenciling family heirloom tutorial! You’ll see how to avoid any frustration of trying to figure out how to match your heirloom to your personal style.

If you’re like me, you have a family heirloom or two that mean a lot to you. Maybe it was handed down to you from your grandparents, or maybe it’s something you made yourself and hold close to your heart. I’m going to show you how to stencil your family heirloom so you can pass it down to the next generation with love.

How to Stencil A Family Heirloom

I can’t wait to get my hands on this family heirloom. It is the perfect piece to use as a focal point for our fromt porch decor and bring some new life into this old nest! Using an old Milk Jug that was my husband’s uncle that we have in our possession makes the perfect surface to stencil my favorite farmer quotes onto.

With my Paul Harvey quote Stencil that says: “And on the 8th day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, “I need a caretaker.” So God made a farmer.” I am only using the last part of this quote to apply to the milk jug. Keep watching and see exactly how you stencil a family heirloom into your next front porch decor.

Supplies

Old Rusty Milk Can
Paul Harvey Saying Stencil – Unable to get this stencil due to copyright. 🙁
Tape
Acrylic Paint
Dauber
Polyurethane
Sanding Block

Directions

Clean off milk jug and sand with a sanding block.
Place Stencil down on milk jug. Then tape down edges so it doesn’t move.
Start applying your paint over the stencil lettering using your dauber.
Since it is taped down you won’t be able to see what your outcome is. However, you can always tape it back down and go over it if you see some letters need more paint added.
Remove your tape, and slowly pull up the stencil.
Now if any letters need to more paint then redo those areas. This will help those letters really pop.
Lastly, seal with a polyurethane spray.

What is a Family Heirloom?

Think of something that you remember seeing as a child in your grandmother’s house or even your own parents’ home that came from their grandparents. These are considered heirlooms when they are passed down from generation to generation. They necessarily don’t have great value they just hold memories of that special relative that passed it down.

How Can Family Heirlooms Fit Into Your Home Decor Style?

This piece I stenciled is a perfect example of how to get family heirlooms to fit into your own home decor style. I took an old milk jug and stenciled a quote on it that fit my home. You could do that same thing with really any antique piece or family heirloom. Think of how you can incorporate the piece into your everyday style. You can use stencils, IOD transfers, or even stains.

What are Good Family Heirlooms?

When considering if something would be a good family heirloom think of items that can stay in a family for decades. If you are wanting to make sure your family has a few heirloom items to pass down here are a few heirloom items to start in your family:

Clocks
Tools
Letters
Furniture
Jewelry

How To Stencil a Family Heirloom

Yield: 1 heirloom project

Turn a family heirloom into a front porch decor by stenciling a quote onto the front of an old milk jug.

Materials

Old Rusty Milk Can
Paul Harvey Saying Stencil
Tape
Warm Grey Acrylic Paint
Dauber
Polyurethane

Instructions

Clean and sand your old milk jug.
Place Stencil down on milk jug. Then tape down edges so it doesn’t move
Start daubing your paint over the stencil lettering
Since it is taped down you won’t be able to see what your stenciling is looking like but you can always tape it back down and go over it if you need to do over some areas.
Remove your tape, and slowly pull up the stencil
Now if any letters need to be gone over with more paint then redo those areas so they show up better.
Seal with polyurethane