How to paint a buffalo check pattern

I’m a fan of buffalo check, so I decided to paint it on one of the arrows for SNAP conference! It’s a super fun pattern, and painting it isn’t that hard!

Tip # 1: Have a buffalo check pattern in your hand at all times. It was easy for my brain to get confused, so I had to constantly look at the pattern to reassure myself that I was painting the correct color! 
how to paint a buffalo check pattern

Step 1: With a vinyl cutting machine, cute a few dozen squares. I made mine around 4 1/5 inches. Make sure they are exactly square. 

Screenshot 2016-05-15 22.00.23

With the “Replicate” button, make an entire row of your squares. 

Screenshot 2016-05-15 22.01.30

Fill the page by duplicating that row until you have enough to fill whatever you are painting. 

Screenshot 2016-05-15 22.01.51

Step 2: {not shown} Paint the entire project white. I used Rustoleum Chalked Paint for this project. I didn’t use the spray kind, I used the brush on kind. 🙂  

Step 3: After the white dried, I sanded it carefully with my favorite super fine sanding sponges.  These sanding sponges make it feel like a babies bottom it’s so smooth! 

Step 4: Wipe off the dust with a cloth, and place the vinyl squares along your project. Make sure they are straight. 🙂

Step 5: Remove the vinyl of one color at a time and painted it. {Refer to your pattern for help on this}. Let that color dry completely and place the vinyl square back over that spot to protect it from the next color. 

Step 6: Repeat the process until all of your colors are painted. 

how to paint buffalo check with a silhouette

It turned out perfect! I actually tried this project first with spray paint, and I soon decided to change to brush on paint when the lines weren’t perfect. I’m a perfectionist. 

buffalo check

I know I could have used paper to cover the arrow, but I wanted it to last longer than that! Paper never sticks long term in my opinion.

Tip: Don’t use textured wood on your project either, or your lines will not be crisp. 

xoxo,

Brooke

Published on May 17, 2016

2 thoughts on “How to paint a buffalo check pattern”

  1. Looks really nice!! But I thought the idea of stenciling was not crisp edges? Of course I like the perfect better, but I kinda like the fact someone may say ‘she did that!’

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