Stenciling Some St. Patrick's Day Door Hanger Fun

Top o’ the morning (or evening) to ya!  Today, we're working on a creative St. Patrick's Day door hanger that will add some festive charm to your home. This project uses a 12" round board with the #9289 (12") stencil from thestencilsmith.com—you can use my affiliate code, ARTSYMOON, for a discount on your stencil order! 

This design features the heartwarming saying, “May our home be too small to hold all our friends,” alongside an adorable little leprechaun gnome! I mean, could it be any cuter?! Let’s grab our paintbrushes and get this party started!

DecoArt Paint Colors You’ll Need:

• White
• Burnt Umber
• Black
• Warm Beige 
• Carousel Pink 
• Canyon Orange
• Jewel Green
• Citron Green

Starting with Our Background

First things first, we need a fabulous backdrop! Grab a 1-inch flat brush and slather on a generous coat of white paint. Feeling bold? Pour it right onto the board—no rules here! While your background is still wet, take some Burnt Umber and sweep it along the edges, letting it streak lightly for a rustic, woodsy charm. It might not look like much at first, but trust the process!

Once dry, it’s time for a faux wood grain! Tape down two parallel strips of painter’s tape, leaving a small space in between. Then, with a round-tip brush and Burnt Umber, paint between the tape to create those wooden planks. Keep repeating this down the board, drying between each set. 

Let’s Use our Stencil

It’s time for the star of the show—our Stencilsmith stencil! (Don’t forget to use ARTSYMOON for that sweet discount! 😉)

Start with the hat: mix Jewel Green with a touch of Black to give it some depth. Use a stencil brush in small circular motions to fill it in. Add some lighter green highlights to the clovers and around the edges of the hat for dimension.!

Lettering Made Easy

Add the lettering stencil now to create some lettering made easy. Dry off your brush, then dab Black paint onto the stencil’s lettering using a circular motion. Once dry, go back in for a second coat, dabbing this time to darken up the text. Slowly peel away the stencil to reveal clean, crisp text.

Bringing the Gnome to Life

Now, let’s bring our little leprechaun to life! Line up the stencils to paint the hatband, then use a baby wipe to clean off excess paint from your brush before adding Black shading under the hat for the beard’s first layer.

For the hair, grab a wisp brush (or a round brush if that’s what you’ve got) and mix Canyon Orange with a smidge of Black. Start dragging it down from the hat’s brim. Without rinsing, grab more orange and pull upward from the bottom to create that dreamy gnome flow. Layer it up with lighter orange and finally White for highlights. You’re going to watch the texture in the gnome's hair just POP! 

The Finishing Touches

Time to stencil in the buckle, hands, and that adorable little nose! Start with White as a base (trust me, that gold buckle won’t pop without it!). Once dry, go in with gold for some serious sparkle. 🌟

For the clover on the hat, start with Citron Green around the edges, then blend Jewel Green toward the center for depth. If it’s getting lost in the hat, outline it lightly with Citron or even a dab of White for contrast.

To add life to the hands and nose, mix Burnt Umber with White to create a soft skin tone. Then, use a liner brush and thin out some Orange paint for delicate hair highlights. This part is where the magic happens!

Admire It All 

Your St. Patrick's Day door hanger is now ready to display! It makes a great seasonal addition to your home decor.

Want to watch the full tutorial in action? Check out my YouTube channel for the step-by-step video! And don’t forget—if you’re shopping for stencils, use my ARTSYMOON code at thestencilsmith.com for a discount!

Happy painting, and may the luck of the Irish be with you!