How to Design Your Own Stencil for Pumpkins
Decorating pumpkins is a great fall art activity. Using stencils you design yourself makes for a unique look and shows off your artistic ability. A stencil is a template used to create patterns, pictures or shapes.
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Things You'll Need
- White printing paper
- Pencil with eraser
- Tracing paper
- Tape
- White construction paper
- Scissors
- Fine-point black marker
- Pumpkin carving knife
Instructions
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Creating a Stencil
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1
Draw the design of your choice on plain white printing paper with pencil, making sure to erase all lines that are not part of the stencil template.
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2
Place tracing paper over the white paper. Trace design with pencil and press hard while tracing.
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3
Place tracing paper over construction paper. Construction paper makes a better stencil because it is thicker than printing paper. Tape the papers together at the top and bottom to keep in place while cutting. You will need the tracing paper over the construction paper to create the stencil design on construction paper.
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4
Cut the design out with scissors on the tracing paper and construction paper at the same time. The construction paper design will be your stencil.
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5
Check the stencil for unwanted cuts. Cut off rugged edges to make them smooth.
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6
Remove tracing paper from construction paper. Gently remove tape to avoid tearing design.
Discard the tracing paper. -
7
Tape the stencil made from construction paper to the pumpkin.
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8
Outline or trace the design onto pumpkin with a fine-point black marker. Using a fine-point black marker keeps the marker lines thin and visible when carving.
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9
Remove the stencil and tape from pumpkin. Clean any tape residue left on pumpkin with a damp cloth, but avoid wiping off the stencil design.
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10
Carve out your design with a pumpkin carving knife. Look over the design on pumpkin and carve off any leftover marks. Smooth out any uneven cuts.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Do not use charcoal or colored pencil for tracing. Charcoal and colored pencil smears and can cause you to trace the wrong lines.
Follow knife instructions listed on package for proper care and handling to avoid serious injury.
