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Home / Step-by-Step Tutorials / Fall in Love With These Cozy Saltbox Houses! 🍁🏠 A Warm & Rustic Autumn Round

Fall in Love With These Cozy Saltbox Houses! 🍁🏠 A Warm & Rustic Autumn Round

Featuring Cindy Berry

Fall in Love With These Cozy Saltbox Houses! 🍁🏠 A Warm & Rustic Autumn Round

Fall Saltbox Houses 18-Inch Round DIY

Bring a little fall charm to your home with this cozy Saltbox Houses round! This 18-inch project combines warm autumn colors, layered stenciling, a rustic distressed background, and a sweet Love Grows Best in Little Houses message.

The best part? You can easily switch up the colors to match your own fall decor. Grab your favorite stencil brushes and let's get started!

Jump to Project

Create the Rustic Background

Materials

  • 18-inch round wood board
  • FolkArt Hazy Moon paint
  • Iced Coffee paint
  • Chip brush

Start by painting the entire 18-inch round board with FolkArt Hazy Moon, a warm beige shade. Use a chip brush to cover the board evenly.

While the paint is still damp, lightly dry brush Iced Coffee across the surface. Keep the brown subtle. The goal is a soft, rustic, aged finish rather than a heavily painted background.

Let the background dry completely before adding your stencils.

Painting an 18-inch round board with FolkArt Hazy Moon

Creating a distressed finish with Iced Coffee paint

Helpful Tips

  • Keep the Iced Coffee light. You want hints of brown showing through, not a solid brown background.
  • Dry brushing with a small amount of paint helps create that naturally aged look.

Stencil the Orange Saltbox House

Materials

  • Saltbox Houses Stencil
  • Burnt Orange paint
  • Bright Orange paint
  • Metallic Brown paint
  • Hazy Moon paint
  • Red paint
  • Stencil brushes

Choose one of the houses from the Saltbox Houses Stencil and position the first layer on one side of the board.

Fill the house with Burnt Orange. Use a larger stencil brush for the open areas and work from the outside of the stencil toward the center. This helps keep paint from being pushed underneath the stencil.

Once the first layer is covered, lightly brush Bright Orange over the house to create some color variation and dimension.

Carefully lift the stencil and allow the paint to dry.

First layer of the orange Saltbox House

Next, reposition the second layer of the same stencil. Take a moment to carefully line up the roof and house before painting.

Use Metallic Brown for the roof, Hazy Moon for the windows, and Red for the door.

Let the paint dry before carefully lifting the stencil.

Second layer of the orange Saltbox House

Helpful Tips

  • Always check your alignment before painting the second layer. Lining up the roof and house first makes the details much easier.
  • For wide-open stencil areas, a larger brush can make the painting process faster and smoother.

Stencil the Golden Yellow Saltbox House

Materials

  • Saltbox Houses Stencil
  • Golden Straw paint
  • Golden Sunset paint
  • Bright Orange paint
  • Dark Brown paint
  • Iced Coffee paint
  • Burnt Orange paint
  • Stencil brushes

Choose the second house and position its first layer on the opposite side of the board.

Start with Golden Straw, then lightly layer Golden Sunset and Bright Orange over the house. Keep some of the colors visible for a fun, streaky fall effect.

First layer of the golden yellow Saltbox House

After the first layer dries, carefully reposition the second layer.

Fill the roof with Dark Brown, the windows with Iced Coffee, and the door with Burnt Orange.

If you're applying a light color over a darker layer, pounce the paint rather than brushing heavily. This helps the lighter color show up beautifully.

Let the paint dry, then lift the stencil.

Second layer of the golden yellow Saltbox House

Helpful Tips

  • Don't be afraid to layer several shades. The combination of Golden Straw, Golden Sunset, and Bright Orange creates beautiful fall dimension.
  • When using a light color over a dark color, pouncing helps build better coverage.
  • Your color palette doesn't have to match this project. Choose shades that work with your own decor.

Stencil the Red Saltbox House

Materials

  • Saltbox Houses Stencil
  • Tuscan Red paint
  • Spiced Berry paint
  • Mustard paint
  • Hazy Moon paint
  • Golden Sunset paint
  • Stencil brushes

Take the third house from the Saltbox Houses Stencil and position it beside the yellow house. Leave a little more space between this house and the orange house for a balanced layout.

Fill the house with Tuscan Red. Then lightly streak Spiced Berry over the surface for a deeper, layered red effect.

First layer of the red Saltbox House

Allow the first layer to dry. Then align the second layer over the house.

Use Mustard for the roof, Hazy Moon for the windows, and Golden Sunset for the door.

Make sure your stencil is clean and completely dry before moving into your next color. This simple step can make a big difference when working with multiple paint colors.

Let the paint dry before carefully lifting the stencil.

Completed details on the red Saltbox House

Helpful Tips

  • Clean and dry your stencil between colors. This helps prevent unwanted paint transfer.
  • Lightly streaking two shades together gives the houses more depth without making the colors look muddy.

Add the Fall Willow Tree

Materials

Now it's time to add the fall tree! Grab the Willow Tree Stencil and position one of the trees between the orange and red houses. Shift it slightly downward to fit the composition.

Fill the tree with Nutmeg, a warm brown shade.

Adding the Willow Tree between the Saltbox Houses

For the leaves, switch to a Mini Stencil Brush Set. Add Red, Mustard Yellow, and a little Bright Orange to create a colorful fall canopy.

Don't overthink the leaves. Place the colors randomly and have fun with it. A little variation makes the tree look more natural.

Let the paint dry completely.

Adding colorful fall leaves to the Willow Tree

Helpful Tips

  • Random is better for the leaves. Avoid trying to make every leaf placement perfect.
  • Use several fall colors for a fuller, more dimensional look.

Add the “Love Grows Best in Little Houses” Phrase

Materials

Finish the design with the sweet Love Grows Best in Little Houses phrase from the Primitive Word Set.

Position the phrase along the bottom of the board. Eyeball the placement to center it, then fill the words with English Ivy Green paint.

Stenciling Love Grows Best in Little Houses

Once the phrase is painted, grab a Detail Brush Set and carefully fill in the small bridges in the letters.

Take your time with these tiny details. Filling in the bridges gives the lettering a clean, finished appearance and helps the phrase really pop.

Filling stencil bridges with a detail brush

Helpful Tips

  • Work slowly when filling stencil bridges. A fine detail brush gives you much more control.
  • Working while the paint is slightly damp can make filling these tiny areas easier.
  • Don't worry about making every part perfectly uniform. The handmade look is part of the charm.

Final Reveal

And that's it! This fall Saltbox Houses round is full of warm autumn color, rustic texture, and plenty of handmade charm.

The biggest tip is simple: have fun with your stenciling and don't be afraid to make the project your own. Change the house colors, adjust the tree placement, or choose a completely different palette to create a round that works with your style.

Final reveal of the fall Saltbox Houses 18-inch round

Ready to Create Your Own?

Gather your favorite fall paints and start creating! The Saltbox Houses Stencil, Willow Tree Stencil, and Primitive Word Set make it easy to recreate this cozy design or put your own spin on it.

Shop Essential Stencil and find the supplies for your next DIY project.

Shop Essential Stencil and find the supplies for your next DIY project.

Watch the Full Tutorial

Want to see this fall Saltbox Houses project come together? Watch the full tutorial below and follow along step by step!

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