One thing I forgot to mention about the Olana house, owner and designer Church actually designed each and every decorative stencil used inside and out of the house.
Now, those were some elaborate stencils. But, sometimes you need something a little more doable and just can’t seem to find it at the store- so, you make your own.
Making stencils is quite easy really, once you have a clear image and the right tools.
1. Get a print-out of your image- this works best with a silhouette
2. Tape the image to the stencil sheet to hold in place
- Best material to use will be some sort of mylar film. Solid stencil sheets specifically for creating your own designs can be found in the stencil section of most craft stores. In my case, I happen to have an old (clear) file folder that was on it’s way out. I was able to upcycle it for this project.
- In addition to taping down the image, I sometimes like tracing it with a fine point marker in case the image and stencil sheet should separate.
3. cut out your image over a craft mat
- Be mindful of your shape. In this case I was cutting out a circle, so I had to remember to leave connecting areas between the lines of the cut out (otherwise I’d be left with a very large dot)
Aha! Finally the tutorial I was waiting on. Thanks for breaking it down! Unfortunately I cannot be trusted with sharp objects like exacto knives; I accidentally stab myself with pens all the time.
I have never created in stencil and this projects looks like fun!
You did a really good job of getting the circle to look nice. One wrong cut and the stencil is no good. I think I have all those supplies left over from school so it’s too bad I have nothing to stencil. 🙂
I think you could totally make your own giant paint-by-number painting with one of those old overhead projectors that I’m sure you could find for free on Craigslist.
Oh Jeanine you tease me – I have wanted a projector for the sole purpose of wall painting projects for years.
Thanks for the tutorial! I’ve never made my own stencil but I am not good or patient enough to cut out shapes properly but I might give it a try sometime.
So cool! Mad exacto-knife skills!
Oh yes- I could have been a surgeon!
So clever, great work! x
This is excellent, I too use the old plastic folders, for some reason we keep having too much of them anyway. I’ve also used adhesive plastic without removing the backing. I think one should only invest in those mylar films if the stencil will be used multiple times, like if you want to pattern a whole wall.