Make Your Own Stencils

My mother recently asked me if I could make her a stencil for our local town's senior citizen center. Apparently crime in on the rise in small town America and Seniors are an easy target.

So I decided to document the easy steps and share it with the insructables community.

If you can trace you can make a stencil.

Step 1: Design Your Stencil

Using a computer design and print your desired stencil.

Or draw it yourself if your are more skilled than me.

*This paper will be destroyed so don't use something you are attached to.

Step 2: Gather Your Tools

You will need:

a cutting tool
cutting may
tape
your stencil design printed
and your stencil medium

At the craft store the stencil medium is a sticky paper or a flimsy plastic, which is fine for one time use but if your are making something to last get something thicker.
* Pictured is the stuff I found.

Step 3: Tape Your Stencil

Lay down your cutting mat.

Lay down your stencil design.

Lay your stencil medium over it and center your design.

Tape it down so it is secure.

Step 4: Cut

Using your cutting tool simply graced the outline of your design.

Step 5: Untape

Remove the tape and you are all done. You have a Stencil that you made.

Step 6: *WARNING

Take breaks.

The harder the plastic of your stencil medium, the harder on your fingers.

Step 7: Use It

Here I used it with orange spray paint to help protect the chairs so often targeted by small town thieves.