Stencils permit easy painting of wood, fabrics and plaster. Done in a series on walls or doors, you have a superb Border : to grace your home.

What materials are used for making stencils ?

The cheapest material is cardstock, but if you're going to use the stencil several times, make sure you keep your original drawing. This is because if your original drawing is also your stencil, after a few uses, it will probably become damaged and no longer capable of reproducing exactly the same design.

Other possible materials : a semi-rigid plastic sheet, a Rolloid R sheet, a metal sheet.
A hint ! Get hold of a 'lino' tile : being laminated and thick, it's perfect for stencil making.

How to make a stencil ?

Draw or trace a design onto your sheet (cardstock or plastic).
Then, cut out the inside carefully with a new craft knife blade.

A special stencil : the snowflake

Method : Cut out a circle (using an upturned bowl). Fold four times. Bring the point (the circle center) towards you and cut a triangle out of the side that's opposite you to leave you almost a 'v' shape. Make two or three triangle-shaped cuts on the other two sides. Unfold. The result is just like magic for the kids!

How to use a stencil ?

With spray paint : for example, with a Christmas snow spray on your window panes.
With a brush : see the technique for wood painting.
With a sponge.
With a soft brush : e.g toothbrush, to spray droplets of paint.

Stencil models

The images below are reduced on screen. To save them on your computer, right click then select 'save picture as': you can then resize them when it comes to printing.