Stenciling is the process of applying paint through cutout areas of material, which is impervious to the paint. Throughout history stenciling has provided a means and method of applying color and embellishment to the home. Stenciled walls are found in eighteenth and nineteenth century homes as a way to pattern after popular European decorating styles. For American colonists it was an economical way to add color and pattern to their humble farm homes. Today stenciling is more popular than ever before. We stencil everything from small knick-knacks to entire walls.
To create a stenciled look of your own you can purchase pre-made laser cut stencils - the choices are almost endless. You can also easily make your own stencils to coordinate or to compliment a patterned or embroidered fabric.
Stenciling Tools
Acetate
Pen and Pencil
Pattern
Scissors
Sharp Stencil Cutter or Craft Knife
Self-healing cutting mat
Acrylic paint
Ruler or Tape Measure
Stencil Brushes
Paper Towel for Blotting
Stencil Adhesive Spray
Make your own decorative stencils
You may need to use a photocopier to enlarge or reduce your pattern to the correct size or scale for your project. Trace your design onto the acetate. Make one tracing or overlay per pattern color you plan to use. Note: If you are working with a repeating design you may want to make a larger pattern that includes the repetition a few times in order to speed up the stenciling process.
Place the marked acetate onto the cutting mat. Cut the acetate leaving a 1" margin on each side. Next, cut out the stencil shapes that will be painted with the first color. Use a very sharp stencil cutter or craft knife. It will cut cleaner if you cut toward you and swivel the acetate as needed for curves. On the second stencil sheet, cut out all the pieces for the second color and so on. Commercially made stencils always include a small marking (a triangular hole) to help you center each stencil piece and line in up with the next overlay. You can also create these guide holes in your own handmade stencils.
Using Your Stencils
With tape measure and pencil lightly mark guidelines on your wall or project to help center your stencil. Use a Stencil Adhesive Spray to hold your stencil in place while you apply the paint. Spray a light coating of the Stencil Adhesive Spray on the back of your stencil. Let it dry a few seconds; the adhesive will be sticky but not wet. This adhesive is safe for use on painted walls and will not remove the paint.
After your stencil is in place you may want to add some painters tape for additional hold but it is not necessary.
Squeeze out a small amount of paint onto a paper plate or palette. Dip your stencil brush lightly into the paint and blot the brush onto a paper towel until you have an almost dry brush.
Hold the stencil brush like a pencil with the bristles flat on the surface and the handle straight. Notice that the bristles of a stencil brush are specially cut for this action. Apply the paint to the stencil cutouts in either a circular (swirling) or a tapping (pouncing) motion working from the edges of the cutouts in towards the center until the stencil is covered. I found that a swirling motion is best when covering larger areas and the pouncing motion is best for small areas.
You control the color in 2 ways - by the amount of pressure applied on brush and by the number of times you go over an area of the design. Lift a corner of the stencil and check the depth of the color before removing the stencil.
If you are using a fairly large stencil your paint will be about dry by the time you are finished and you can carefully remove the first stencil and apply the second stencil for the second color. Continue this process until all colors have been applied.
With a little extra care and acrylic fabric paint, stenciling works beautifully on fabrics, even sheer curtains. Our curtains coordinate with the traditionally stenciled floor mat above. Both projects are in the April 2002 Issue of the Giftmakers Journal. They coordinate with our English Ivy Embroidery Designs.
The stenciling technique is quite simple - the secret to success is just doing it.
