Painting Cornhole Boards: American Flag Stencil | Designer Stencils

Victory will be "in the bag" when you score with this American Flag Cornhole Board Stencil from Designer Stencils!

Here's what you'll need:

• American Flag Cornhole Board Stencil
• Americana Acrylic Paint
• Primary Red
• Navy Blue
• Titanium White
• Repositionable Spray Adhesive
• High Density Foam Roller
• Craft Stencil Brush
• Paint Tray
• Frog Tape
• Paper Plates
• Paper Towels
• Electric sander / sandpaper
• White primer / paint combo
• Flat or angle paint brushes
• Rust-Oleum Marine Coatings Spar Varnish

Getting Started

Instructions for building your own cornhole board can be found via a simple Google or YouTube search. In lieu of this, you can take a pair of old cornhole boards and refinish them.

First, sand down the top and sides of the boards using an electric sander (or sandpaper, if you want the exercise), removing as much paint or damage from wear and tear as possible.

Next, give the boards a couple of coats of a white primer/paint combination and allow to dry completely.

Positioning the Stencil

Place the stencil over the board and slide into position using the score hole as a guide. Then, place the stars masking piece (smaller plain rectangle) into place underneath the stencil. Line it up using the edges of the red stripes as a guide and temporarily tape it in place using Frog Tape painter's tape. 

Star Field Masking Piece

Now, remove the stencil and create a border around the masking piece using the Frog Tape. Next, remove the masking piece and add another line of tape so that it is double wide. This will add extra protection when applying the blue background.

Painting the Blue Background

Now, thoroughly shake your bottle of Americana navy blue acrylic paint and pour out a small amount on a paper plate. Soak the high density paint roller by repeatedly rolling through the paint. Move the roller in one direction only while moving it side to side to ensure full coverage. Next, remove any excess paint by rolling it over a stack of clean paper towels.

Paint the blue background using numerous light coats. Again, move the roller in one direction only (as opposed to back and forth) to avoid blotchy shading. Change the direction of the roller handle frequently.

If there are any imperfections in the wood that the roller fails to penetrate, paint them using a small craft brush.

Preparing to Stencil

Once finished painting the blue, remove the tape and replace the masking piece. Secure in place using a few pieces of tape. If the paint is still wet, be careful not to press down too hard.

Repositionable Spray Adhesive

Next, cover the board with a tarp or old blanket. Lay the stencil upside down on the tarp and spray a coat of Repositionable Spray Adhesive on the underside. Allow to dry for about 30 seconds or so. Remove the stencil and tarp and place aside.

Remove any tape that is touching the top of the board where the red stripes will be painted. Replace the stencil and press down to help it adhere to the surface of the board.

Stenciling the Red Stripes

After shaking, pour out some Primary Red paint and load a new roller as described earlier. Remove excess paint from the roller using a stack of paper towels. Too much paint on the roller will result in bleeding underneath the stencil! 

If any portion of the stencil is tending to lift away from the surface of the board, prop up the corners of the stencil using pieces Frog Tape place on the underside of the stencil corners.

Again, move the roller in one direction at a time and stencil using many light coats to ensure even coverage. Once satisfied with the stripes, loosen the tape and peel away the stencil and the masking piece. Place the stencil aside.

Fill in any divots in the wood using a small craft brush. If there is any gap between the left edge of the red stripes and the blue background, mask off the blue and white using tape and fill in gaps with the brush.

Stenciling the White Stars

Next, replace the stencil and affix by placing pieces of tape while avoiding covering any of the stars. Load a new roller with titanium white and begin stenciling the stars. For these, do move the roller in a back and forth motion over each star while frequently changing the direction of the roller handle. Fill in the stars using numerous light coats.

Finishing Up

Once the white stars are complete, loosen any tape and remove the stencil. 

Repeat the entire process for the other cornhole board.

To protect your boards from wear and tear and also the elements, add a couple of coats of Rust-Oleum Marine Coatings Spar Varnish and let dry completely.

Your beautiful, patriotic new cornhole boards are ready to provide years of fun in the sun!

For more tips and ideas, visit DesignerStencils.com today.