How to Make Plastic Cutting Templates

You can make your own plastic template by using ordinary household materials.

Busy families use stencils for all types of projects, ranging from decorating cookies with festive, holiday shapes to sprucing up a room's decor by painting on the walls. You can also use them to decorate a shirt or for scrapbooking and other paper crafts. Whether you need a basic shape or an intricate design, you can save money by making your own plastic cutting templates to use in projects.

Things You'll Need

• Sheet of acrylic
• Sharp craft knife
• Pen or pencil
• Pattern (optional)

Instructions

1. Find a shape or design you want for the template. You can look online, use a pattern you have or draw your own freehand.

2. Trace your shape with the pencil or pen onto the plastic, using the pattern. A pencil works well for this step, if you can see it, so the lines aren't too dark. You can use recycled plastic from items around your home, such as the sturdy plastic piece that comes with a package of bacon or a lid from a plastic tub. If you use a lid, flip it upside down so the edge does not prevent it from laying flat.

3. Cut around the design with the craft knife, taking care to move the plastic and not the knife for a smoother cut.

Tips & Warnings

• If your stencil is very large, use two or more sheets of plastic. Trace the main part of the design onto one sheet and details onto another sheet. Label each part of the stencil to keep track for your project.