It is common for rental apartments to come with sad, stained, formerly white curtains or blinds. Replacing the imposing wall of ugliness is often a top aesthetic priority - but new curtains don't come cheap. And if they do, chances are they look as sexy as your old curtains, just with fewer stains.

Enter pbjstories.com with the stencil project sure to solve your ugly curtain crisis. Wall stencils, once on par with sponge painting, are back and just in time to transform that drab set of vertical bed sheets into interior design glory. Not only are they an affordable alternative, but when you pick your fabric, pattern and budget, you guarantee your new drapes go with everything.

What you need:

- acrylic paint

- fabric medium (around $8 at art stores)

- roller brush (around $5 to $10 at hardware stores)

- smaller bristle hobby and craft brush (hardware stores)

- curtains (Ikea basics go for $40 or less)

- stencil (see note below)

- painter's tape (comes off easier than masking tape)

- drop cloth or something to lay under your curtains

How-to

1. Tape down drop cloth or floor covering and then tape down the curtain over top.

2. Mix a ratio of fabric medium and acrylic paint as per the fabric medium's directions.

3. Fabric medium ensures the paint is soft and able to adhere to fabric better than plain acrylic paint. Note: fabric medium won't alter the colour of your paint.

4. A smaller brush was used in the beginning because the curtain's grommets made the stencil come off the fabric a bit. It's safe to use a soft roller where the stencil is flat.

5. When finished painting the full stencil pattern, remove it very carefully before placing it in the next section of the curtain. Make sure to line up the stencil correctly so the finished pattern is uniform.

6. Try placing the stencil partially over completed sections to help line up the pattern correctly.

7. From prep to cleanup one panel took around two hours plus three hours of drying time.

8. Optional: To heat set the paint so curtains can be laundered in the future, iron the curtains or put them in the dryer for 30-40 minutes.

Photo courtesy of pbjstories.com

Sourcing stencils

Wall stencils are sold at hardware and art stores for varying prices, but the best selection seems to be online.

This tutorial used a stencil from cuttingedgestencils.com, with the average stencil price around $14 to $50.

You can also make your own stencil with a stencil burner/cutter (available at art stores) and inexpensive plastic sheets. This way you can find any pattern from the Internet and create a homemade stencil pattern on the cheap.

Call for submissions

Every week, Julia Dilworth's DIY File will feature do-it-yourself projects, big and small. To submit a project or send photos of your DIY attempts, email julia.dilworth[at]sunmedia.ca.

You can also find her on Twitter at @JuliaDilworth