How to Cut a Stencil With Cricut

Create stencils once you have removed your Cricut dies.

The Cricut is a specialized die cutting machine that allows you to create intricate cut images to use in a whole range of ways. You can cut dies to place in scrap books, on cakes, as borders or decorative embellishments. But there is also a reverse use after some of those images have been cut away; you can use the image as a stencil to create the image on another medium such as a T-shirt or pillow case.

Things You'll Need

• Cricut machine with cartridges
• Freezer paper
• Utility or X-Acto knife
• Iron
• Thin cardboard
• Paints, fabric paints or other coloring medium

Instructions

1. Set up your Cricut machine to cut your design. Plug the unit in, select the cartridge that has the design you want and put it in the machine. Place the keyboard overlay on the machine that corresponds to the cartridge you are using.

2. Cut a piece of freezer paper to 6 inches by 12 inches or smaller. The 6-by-12 is the full size sheet a Cricut will take. If using a smaller piece, load it to the machine on the mat using the directions for your particular unit; there are different versions of the Cricut machine. Place the paper in the machine, matte side up.

3. Select "Cut" and allow the machine to cut your design.

4. Unload the paper when the machine has finished, and carefully remove the die from the image. The die can be set aside for use later; at this time the stenciled reverse image is what you need.

5. Carefully align the stencil on your material. You can use just about any fabric or surface on which you can do an iron-on transfer. Lay the image with the wax side of the paper down. Insert a thin piece of cardboard beneath the layer of fabric to keep it from sticking to the surface below.

6. Set your iron on medium, and iron over the stencil a few times until it adheres well to the fabric. This is important for clear, crisp edges to your image. Allow it to cool.

7. Leave the freezer paper in place for your stencil guide. Add whatever color or medium you are using to create your image. When the medium dries, you can remove the freezer paper stencil and the cardboard beneath.

References

• Chica and Jo: Use Cricut to Create Stencils

Resources

• Cricut: Cricut Personal Cutting Machine