How to Build Stencils
Build your own stencils from any kind of image, word or pattern you want. With patience and a steady hand, create plastic stencils for use in decorating walls and furniture in your home. Stenciling with acrylic paints and a stencil brush is a simple process that allows you to customize your home decor.
Things You'll Need
- Pattern
- Tape
- Plastic sheets
- Fine-point marker
- Colored pencils
- Craft knife
Instructions
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1
Find a pattern that you like for your stencil. Look in wallpaper books, coloring books or find a pattern online. If you can trace it onto a sheet of plastic, you can build a stencil from it.
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2
Tape a clear sheet of plastic on top of your pattern using sheet protectors, acetate or any thick type of plastic sheet found in an office supply store.
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3
Trace the pattern onto the plastic. If the pattern is too big for the plastic, create separate stencils and overlap part of the pattern on both stencils. This allows you to see where they line up as you apply your stencils on the wall. If you're building a wall stencil with different colors, you need a stencil for each of the colors you plan to use.
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4
Color in your pattern with pencils matching the colors you plan to use when you paint your stencils on the wall. This helps determine if the colors need to be adjusted. This step is not necessary if you use one color or are confident in your color selections.
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5
Cut out the colored sections with a sharp craft knife. Take your time and cut carefully, removing all the colored images.
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6
Build your stencil on the wall or on the face of a cabinet by taping one stencil in place and swirling on the paint. Remove the stencil and let the paint dry before you tape another stencil on top to add your next color. Continue building layers this way until your stencil pattern is complete.
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Tips & Warnings
Thick plastic stencils can be reused; just make sure to remove the paint from the plastic before it dries.
