How to Cut Stenciling Materials

You don’t need to bother with messy wallpaper or expensive paneling when redecorating your home. With a little creativity, paint, paper and brushes, you can turn any room into your own work of art with stencils. This project is not only fun to do, but your family and future guests will be very impressed with your artistic abilities and do-it-yourself nature. Follow these simple directions to recreate any wall or floorspace in your home.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Thick waxed paper, architect’s linen or stencil board
• Grid paper or ruler
• Dark pencil
• Sharp utility knife or crafter’s knife

1. Create a strong, abstract or recognizable shape by drawing on a grid over thick waxed paper, architect’s linen or stencil board.

2. Hold a craft knife with a very sharp blade almost perpendicular to the paper, and press down for a clean cut. Hold the paper down with your free hand so that it doesn’t move while you are cutting.

3. Repair cut ties with masking tape. Put a piece of tape on the topside of the stencil, and flip the paper over to remove any excess with your knife. Do not fold the tape.

4. Make sure to allow a small space between designs if cutting stencils that will be painted multicolored. This will ensure a cleaner connection between colors.

5. To eliminate the need for stencil ties, make a separate stencil for each overlapping or adjoining color that will be in the design.

6. To create cutouts, trace the outline of one stencil onto another, and cut out the triangles inside so that the points are facing inward.

Tips & Warnings

• Trim ragged edges off the stencil so that it is smooth. Make sure to get rid of tiny pieces of uncut paper that might still be stuck there.
• Any stiff paper or board can be used in place of stencil paper.
• Crafting knives are extremely sharp and are inappropriate for children to use. If stenciling with small children, do the cutting for them or give them safety scissors and construction paper to create their stencils.

Resources

• More stenciling tips