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Create an Adorable "A Time to Gather" Fall Sign with Layered Stenciling 🍄

Featuring Melissa Bradshaw

Bring Cozy Fall Charm to Your Home with the "A Time to Gather" Stencil

Fall is the perfect season for warm colors, cozy gatherings, and handmade décor that welcomes family and friends. In this tutorial, Melissa Bradshaw of Junk and Craft Treasures shows how easy it is to create a beautiful layered fall sign using the A Time to Gather Stencil.

By layering inexpensive craft paints with dry-brush stenciling techniques, you'll create depth, dimension, and beautiful autumn colors that make this woodland design come to life.

Materials You'll Need

A Time to Gather Stencil
Stencil Brush 4pc Set
11.5" x 11.5" wood board
White craft paint
Light, medium, and dark brown craft paints
Yellow, orange, and red craft paints
Black and white craft paint
Metallic gold craft paint
Painter's tape (FrogTape or similar)
Dotting tool (or the end of a paintbrush)
Paper towels or shop towels for offloading paint

Step-by-Step Tutorial

Step 1: Paint Your Background

Paint your 11.5" x 11.5" wood board with white craft paint. Allow it to dry completely before applying a second coat for a smooth, even finish.

Two thin coats provide better coverage than one thick coat and create the perfect surface for stenciling.

Step 2: Position the Stencil & Paint the Squirrel

Secure the A Time to Gather Stencil with painter's tape. Using a stencil brush, apply a light brown base coat to the squirrel.

Once dry, lightly layer a darker brown over selected areas to create natural shading and dimension.

Step 3: Add Depth to the Tree

Stencil the tree trunk using two shades of dark brown. Build the color gradually, allowing each layer to dry before adding more paint.

Layering multiple shades creates realistic depth without overwhelming the design.

Step 4: Stencil the Wording

Using the same dry-brush technique, stencil the "A Time to Gather" wording with your darkest brown paint.

Step 5: Paint the Acorns

Fill in the acorns using the same dark brown color to keep the design cohesive.

Step 6: Add the Mushrooms & Woodland Details

Mix a small amount of black and white paint to create a soft gray for the mushroom bases. Then use black paint to stencil the squirrel's eye and whiskers for extra definition.

Step 7: Blend Beautiful Fall Leaves

With clean stencil brushes, randomly add yellow, orange, and red paint to the leaves. Blend the colors together using light circular motions.

Don't worry about perfection. The layered colors create a realistic fall foliage effect.

Step 8: Brighten the Mushroom Caps

Add a second coat of red paint to the mushroom caps for richer color and better coverage.

Step 9: Add Gold Highlights

Lightly dry brush metallic gold over the acorn caps and the wording to create a soft shimmer that catches the light.

Step 10: Finish with White Dots & Reveal

Use a dotting tool or the end of a paintbrush to add white dots to the mushroom caps. Allow everything to dry completely before carefully removing the stencil.

Final Reveal

The finished sign features warm autumn colors, layered shading, and just a hint of gold shimmer—making it a beautiful addition to mantels, entryways, shelves, or fall gallery walls.

Helpful Tips

Always offload excess paint before stenciling. A dry brush produces crisp, clean lines.
Build color slowly. Several light layers look much better than one heavy coat.
Allow each color to dry before blending another shade over it.
Experiment with multiple shades of brown to create realistic woodlands and animals.
Metallic gold adds just enough shimmer without overpowering the design.
If you accidentally stencil outside a section, don't panic—it's just paint! Let it dry and layer over it as needed.

Create Your Own Cozy Fall Welcome

Melissa's layered painting technique shows just how much dimension you can achieve using simple craft paints and quality stencil brushes. Whether you're decorating your home for autumn or creating a handmade gift, this project is a fun way to celebrate the season.

Watch the Full Tutorial

Want to see Melissa's complete process from start to finish? Watch the full video tutorial below and follow along as she shares her favorite layering and blending techniques for creating this charming fall sign.

Ready to make your own?

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