If you love soft ocean colors, layered textures, and coastal-inspired decor, this paddle board project is such a fun one to recreate. Amanda Dillon from Mettle Modern Design shared this beautiful mixed-media coastal piece using blended stains, sea turtle transfers, and layered stencil details for the perfect beachy finish.
The combination of soft blues, ocean-inspired blending, and dimensional greenery creates a custom art piece that looks beautiful displayed all summer long.
You can also save 10% on Essential Stencil products using Amanda’s code METTLE.
Amanda Dillon of Mettle Modern Design is known for her gorgeous coastal finishes and layered mixed-media projects. This paddle board combines blended stain techniques with transfers and stencil layering to create a soft underwater-inspired design.
Start by applying a white stain across the entire paddle board using a staining sponge. Be sure to stain the edges and sides for a finished look.
While the white stain is still damp, apply navy stain to the bottom portion of the board. Blend upward softly to avoid harsh lines.
Next, apply turquoise stain through the middle and upper section of the board. Lightly mist the surface with water and blend the colors together to create a soft ocean-inspired ombré finish.
The light water spritz helps the stain move naturally and creates beautiful wave-like movement throughout the background.
After drying the board completely with a heat tool, lightly sand the surface to remove any raised wood grain.
This quick sanding step gives the finished project a much softer and smoother professional finish.
Cut out one of the turtle designs from the Floral Sea Turtles collection and position it near the center of the board.
Use the Essential Transfer Tool to burnish the design firmly until fully adhered.
Positioning the turtle around the blended color transition gives the illusion that it’s swimming upward through the water.
Cut out several seaweed and greenery pieces from the Gone Fishing transfer set and layer them around the turtle.
Mixing transfer elements from different collections creates a more custom layered coastal design.
Using assorted leaf designs from the June 2026 Stencil of the Month Club, stencil additional greenery around the board using green paint and a Stencil Brush.
Allow the first layer to dry completely before lightly layering metallic yellow or pearlized gold paint over portions of the greenery for added depth and shimmer.
Layering metallic highlights over stencil work adds beautiful underwater dimension and catches the light perfectly.
Finish the project by lightly sanding over portions of the transfers and painted areas to soften everything together. Then wrap thicker jute around the handle for extra texture and coastal charm.
If you’d like to recreate this coastal paddle board, you can shop the featured products at Essential Stencil and save 10% using Amanda’s code METTLE.
Shop Floral Sea Turtles | Shop Gone Fishing Transfers | Explore the Stencil of the Month Club
Want to see the entire project come together step by step? Watch Amanda Dillon of Mettle Modern Design create this beautiful coastal paddle board from start to finish in the full video tutorial below.
Prefer watching on YouTube? Click here to watch the full tutorial.
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