You may have noticed that you are still seeing Ikat patterns everywhere - from fabrics to walls to rugs and everything in between! Ikat is a dyeing technique used to create patterned textiles that utilizes specific methods of weaving (the word means "to tie" or "to bind" in Indonesian) and a resist dying method. Because its creation was so time consuming, it was often a status symbol of wealth and power in day's past. Now, you can get this sought-after exotic look on your walls and furniture with easy-to-use Ikat stencils!
The beauty of stencils is that you can create any look with any color you want. Our Ikat Stencils make it easy to create exotic room décor that mimics traditional ikat patterns. For a more contemporary look, try mixing it up with modern color combinations. Check out what we did with these 2 room makeovers above with the Anika Ikat Damask Wall Stencil. Which do you like better: the exotic oasis or the modern space?
Ikat patterns are usually seen in contrasting color combinations, but you can definitely use this same pattern in more subtle ways. Chernee Vitello gave her walls a serene sheen of light blues along with our Khanjali Ikat Wall Stencil. Another idea would be to use similar hues of the same color, like we did with the green stenciled wall above. These cool colors are great for relaxing the eyes after a busy day.
Modern day Ikat fabrics are primarily printed to simulate the classic look of woven Ikat, which produces the distinctive look of an uneven (even jagged) edge with a somewhat blurred effect. Our Khanjali Ikat Stencil is designed with its own vertical movement and blurred edge effect built in-but this easy stencil technique will add even more of that special Ikat fabric vibe to the look. For the full DIY tutorial, check out Stencil How To: Ikat Fabric Effect.
Just like wall stencils, furniture stencils can totally change the look of your piece to any style you’d like. Again, our versatile Ikat stencils and metallic Royal Stencil Cremes were able to decorate these stunning stenciled dressers in very different ways. For the full DIY tutorials for each stenciled dresser, check out How to Stencil: Exotic Ikat Stencil Ikea Furniture Hack and Ikea Dresser Hack with Stenciled Style
A great way to brighten up a space is with metallic paint and some pretty pattern! My Passion for Decor had a dark wood cabinet that seemed to detract from her keepsakes, rather than show them off. She turned to furniture stencils when she found out how affordable and easy they are to use. She stripped the backing of the cabinet off and replaced it with a white backing that she stenciled with our Khanjali Ikat Stencil and Gold Royal Stencil Crème.
Nomadic Decorator loves décor that can tell a story, especially one that makes you feel like you’re in a foreign land. With Royal Design Studio’s large selection of exotic stencils such as Moroccan, African, Indian, and Oriental, she finds that this trendy style is easy and inexpensive to bring into any home. Learn how to turn an inexpensive IKEA rug into a regal oriental-inspired carpet with the Khanjali Ikat Stencil and colorful Chalk Paint® by Annie Sloan. Check out the full tutorial here: IKEA Rug Hack: Stenciling an Oriental Ikat Carpet.
Creative Finishes Studio says, "I had a piece of vinyl flooring laying about and I've loved the Khanjali Ikat Stencil since the first time I saw it. I used the Ikat Fabric Effect Tutorial as a guide as well as doing ikat fabric research online to get inspired color-wise." She used Old White Chalk Paint® as a base and English Yellow, Provence and French Linen to stencil in the pattern. She finished the project in just one short afternoon!
Cindi Pritchett Fuja loves how stenciling her DIY curtains allowed her to coordinate with her dining room décor with any color scheme she wanted. With the sleeker look she had in mind, our Khanjali Ikat Stencil was the right amount of pattern and elegance to her dining room makeover.
Chippa Sunshine previously thought she would have to nix the idea of designer Ikat patterns. Using our Ikat Khanjali Stencil, an inexpensive roller shade, and several paint colors, she created the look she envisioned when she first planned the bedroom makeover – and it turned out better than she expected!
The Ikat Mini Craft Stencil is perfectly sized for crafting creative custom DIY projects. We used this ikat pattern craft stencil and Chalk Paint® to paint some pretty organization for our desk top. This would be such a fun project to do with friends or with the kids for back to school and dorm decor! For the full DIY tutorial, check out Ikea Hack: Stencil Stylish Storage with Mini Craft Stencils.
A stenciled table runner is a great DIY idea if you are looking to create something quick or on a budget. Top This Top That used our beautiful Khanjali Ikat Fall Stencil with Bright Gold Stencil Crème to create this gorgeous table runner from craft paper. She says, “If I didn’t tell you that once upon a time my table runner was brown craft paper, you would have thought that I bought this gold Ikat print runner and paid more money then I should have, right?”
Are you ready to mix color, pattern, and stenciled style to your home? With so many stencil options and so many color combinations, you can create a house a home and that is uniquely your own. We’d love to see your own stencil projects! Email us at projects@royaldesignstudio.com, share them on our Facebook Page, or you can even Instagram your projects and tag us with #royaldesignstudio.
If you’re inspired by these trendy exotic patterns, be sure to check out these other creative customer features here on our Stencil Ideas Blog:
