Stenciling

Intro: Stenciling

recently i have become addicted to stenciling and i think that it would make a great instructable. in this i will teach you how to transfer images from the internet or your mind onto a re-useable stencil sheet.


this is my first instructable hope you like it.

STEP 1: What You Will Need

for this you will need:
1x scissors
1x sharp knife
1x transperrant paper (the kind you use on old projectors)
1x permanent marker
1x spray paint/normal paint (any colour)

and something to transfer your design onto

STEP 2: Getting the Image

all you need for this is a simple design other wise you will find it is hard to cut out. i used a design ive had on my computer for a long time and printed it. you can draw your own designs aswell.

STEP 3: Transfering Design

This is the second easiest step of the process i cant really explain it in more detail because all you have to do is place the transperant paper over the desicn and copy it onto it.

STEP 4: Cutting It Out

the name says it all but this step is the most difficult because you need to take you time to cut it out. you can either cut it all out completly with your knife or you can cut it out with your knife and use scissors aswell so that you dont slip and destroy all your hard work. i find it easier to use just my knife because its sharper but it all depends on the degree of difficulty of your design.

STEP 5: Spray and Wait.

for this step all you have to do is paint your design onto something.

i would like to see what people come up with so if you finish this could you please post your final products thanks

Comments

[FrozenIce]

haha like it alot :) might just try it!! but to find the right thing to stencil...

[czintx]

Do you have any suggestions for doing a stencil for an object that is not flat? How might I get it to stay on? Thanks.

[egadsman]

well there is a way but the more intricate the shape the harder it will be. the only way i can think of is to go down to your local department store and buy some contact cover for books and cut your stencil out of that and stick it to your object and then paint and remove it when its dry.

[czintx]

Thanks! I'll give that a try.

[flytape8490]

Cut out one step-
Don't transfer to the transparency sheet. Not only will your knife stay sharper longer when cutting, reducing the ammount of (expensive!) blades you go thru, you're honestly saving a lot of time.

Also, a hit of spray adhesive on the back of the stencil, and left to dry for 5 minutes or so, will make for a very clean image by almost completely eliminating any overspray. Don't use too much tho if you care about presentation (esp. on a black surface). It will leave a residue that is very visible.

[lucille3830]

do you think this method will work with etching products-or do you think it will dissolve the vinyl?

[Potaterchip]

This is great! This is the only stencil instructabel that uses household items. No laser cutters or anything. Thanks a lot.

[Father Christmas]

nice blade...

[stkrzysiak]

How exactly would spray adhesive help? I saw that mentioned in the discharge paste instructable, and didn't get it. If you glue the stencil to something, how would you get the stencil off? Is the assumption that you can just pull it off since spray adhesive is not that stong?!?

[eskimojo]

If you use it correctly, spray adhesive is only temporary. So yes it has that "post-it effect." If you go liberal with it things can get hairy, literally and metaphorically.

[ultrastatic]

Better to do it with tape as a stensil because there is less fog around the edges

[enahs]

another option would be to just print the design strait to the transparent sheet with a laser printer.

[noremakk]

Or you could even just print the design on normal paper and make your stencil out of your standard printer-paper.

[Esmagamus]

He probably choose to use the transparent sheet because: (a) it won't tear easily while it is being cut and (b) unlike paper, it won't stretch because paint can't soak it and (c) the same amount of work makes for a much tougher stencil that can be used endlessly. Even better, having a laser cut stainless steel sheet as a stencil. Sometimes the hard way is also the lazy way.

[gonnesouth]

they sell printable transparent paper too, that would eliminate a step for you

[Dr.Paj]

I'm wondering, would the lines of paint be more crisp if you put something like oil or vaseline under the stencil (not too much just enough to keep it from moving and remove any gaps) before placing it on something, say metal or concrete? Or do you think it would just create a larger mess?

[threecheersfornick]

Yes, definitely. I use double-sided tape.

[egadsman]

yeah that might work, but the vaseline and the oil would have their downsides because it would make the stencil slip more so it has both a positive and a negative effect. if you want the most optimum results you are best off using a spray adhesive.

[Dr.Paj]

Spray adhesive would work the best hands down, but I was trying to think of ways to get a crisper look using things laying around the house without having to leave for the store to buy materials.

[$ NAB $]

I designed it myself.