How to Cut a Stencil

Cutting a stencil can be done with the proper tools, a steady hand, and some patience. Learning how to cut your own stencil is a useful skill you can use for many arts and crafts, and even in home decor. Once you know how to cut a stencil, making posters, prints, and adding stencils to furniture or walls is easy.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• An image for stenciling
• Hand-held cutter
• Card stock
• Masking Tape
• Scissors
• A hard work area
• black permanent marker
• yellow (or other bright color) marker

How to Cut a Stencil

1. Find an image to use for the stencil. It's best to have the image before you sit down to cut out the stencil. The image can be found in a book, online, or you can draw one yourself. Pick one which will look good in a stencil form. A bold image with simple lines and graphic appeal will work the best.

2. Print out the image. If the image is one you drew, make a copy of it, so that you can retain a pristine copy of the original drawing. Or, if the image you like is in a book, make a copy. To be on the safe side, make and extra copy for reference.

3. Identify a hard surface that you can use as a work space. You will need to use a drawing board or piece of glass or a work table that can be scratched with a knife. The hard working surface will be used to help you cut the stencil. Protect the work area with a cutting mat or a desk blotter if you need to. The work surface needs to be flat for the best results. Use a surface that will not move during cutting.

4. Secure the paper with the image to a piece of card stock. The card stock can be any color. Use masking tape to secure the card stock around the edges of the paper. Tear off long pieces of masking tape to secure the top of the image to the card stock. Then secure the bottom of the image in the same way. Use more masking tape to secure the left side of the image to the card stock. Use one last piece of masking tape to secure the right side of the image to the card stock. If you would like an even more secure method, use some spray adhesive from the craft store.

5. Outline the stencil with a black permanent marker to outline the edges of the images you want to use to cut out the stencil. Outline the outside of the image first, working in. Also outline any inner images you would like to use in the final stencil. Start at the top of the image and work clockwise, cutting the image with the hand-held paper cutter. Fill in the areas you want to cut with black marker. Color the areas you are going to keep with a yellow marker.

6. Cut the stencil. Left-handers may want to work counter-clockwise. Make short lines, following each line and curve. Cut slowly and keep your hand steady. Stop cutting. Keep cutting and stopping until the entire stencil is cut out.

7. Re-cut any stray edges and finalize the stencil image. When the image is completely cut out, remove the image from the card stock. Look at the card stock to see if there are any stray images or rough lines. Use your fingers, the knife, a soft pencil eraser, or a toothpick to smooth the rest of the stencil. Now the stencil is ready to be used. Use masking tape to secure the stencil to the object you want to decorate. Dab or spray paint onto the object where the stencil is cut out of the paper.

Tips & Warnings

• Pick an image with dark and discernible lines.
• The best images to use to cut a stencil are simple images.
• Cutting out the stencil should only be done by adults or teens because the instruments used are sharp
• Do not get too detailed with the interior of the stencil when you first start out.
• Do not try to cut the entire stencil in one long stroke.
• This is not a safe craft for children.