How to Create a Stencil Sign
Making homemade signs is a simple, creative way to advertise an event, such as a yard sale, express an opinion at a protest or march, or liven up an empty spot on your wall or for other decorations. Using stencils ensures that your letters will be the same height and width, and can also lend a nostalgic air to your project.
Things You'll Need
- Poster board or wood
- Ruler
- Stencil paper
- Pencil
- Scissors or utility knife
- Masking tape
- Stencil brushes
- Paint
- Small, shallow bowls
- Paper towels or shop cloths
- Spray sealer (optional)
Instructions
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1
Use the pencil and ruler to sketch out your letters on the stencil paper. Remember when you are designing them that you will be filling in the shapes, not tracing their outsides, so don't make them too intricate.
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2
Cut out the letters with the scissors or utility knife. The sharper the tools, the cleaner the edges will be.
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3
Tape the stencil---the stencil papers with the letters cut out of it---onto your poster board or wood with the kind of masking tape painters use. Tape it lightly, and the tape should come off with no residue left behind
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4
Separate your paint by color and pour each into a shallow bowl. Dip your stencil brush into your first color and blot most of the paint off onto a paper towel or shop cloth. Fill in the letters on the stencil paper with a straight up-and-down dabbing motion. Doing it this way helps ensure that no paint seeps under the edges of the stencil paper.
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5
Let each color dry completely before moving on to another color. Let the entire sign dry completely before removing the stencil.
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6
If you intend to keep or reuse it, spray a coat of clear polyurethane over the sign to help protect and preserve it.
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