Armour Etch is a registered trademark of

International House Corp. DBA Armour

Products. Blick is a registered trademark
of Dick Blick Holdings, Inc. Fruit of the
Loom is a registered trademark of Fruit
of the Loom, Inc. Hanes is a registered
trademark of HBI Branded Apparel Ltd.
Inc. Helmut Lang is a registered
trademark of Helmut Lang New York
LLC. Mod Podge is a registered
trademark of Plaid Enterprises, Inc.
MTV is a registered trademark of
Viacom International, Inc. Mylar is a
registered trademark of Du Pont De
Nemours and Co. Photoshop is a
registered trademark of Adobe Systems,
Inc. Royal Coat is a registered

trademark of Plaid Enterprises, Inc.

Sharpie is a registered trademark of
Sanford, L.P. Shrinky Dinks is a
registered trademark of K & B
Innovations, Inc. Temptu is a registered
trademark of Temptu Marketing, Inc.
Wilton is a registered trademark of
Wilton Industries, Inc. X-Acto is a
registered trademark of Elmers
Products, Inc.
Please use caution when doing any craft
project. Situations and conditions may
vary, so always use your common sense.
Check product labels to be sure that the
materials are safe and nontoxic and take
care to use them according to the
manufacturers instructions and safety

warnings. The author and publisher

disclaim all liability from any damage or
injury that may result from the directions
or information in this book, whether
used properly or improperly. Although
creativity in stenciling your own
property is a good thing, you should
respect the property rights of others,
including public agencies and offices.
Stencil responsibly!

Contents
Introduction
Materials
Eds Favorite Things
Techniques
How to Make Your Own Stencils
How-to Projects
1 - Lets Face It
2 - T-Shirts, Two Ways

3 - Time to Reflect
4 - Plate Tectonics
5 - Get Plastered
6 - Block Party
7 - Shrinky Dink!
8 - Rock Out
9 - Something Sweet
10 - Tattoo You
11 - Extra Layers
12 - Heart Felt

13 - Pinup Star
14 - Give Me Your Leather
15 - Make an Impression
16 - Signed, Sealed,
Delivered
17 - Contain Yourself
18 - Needle & Thread
19 - A Hairy Situation
20 - Au Naturel
21 - Cut & Paste

22 - Screen Test
23 - The Royal Treatment
24 - Screen Star!
25 - Print Junkie
Resources
Acknowledgments
Photo Credits
Copyright

Introduction
Doing It Yourself, customization &
Stepping It Up
I quit, I said in November 2004 when
Id had enough of the cutthroat New
York ad agency environment. I
sometimes compare my experience
working at that agency to Arthur Millers
The Crucible. Or Mean Girls. Either
way, Id had enough of big-company
politics, competitive coworkers,
meetings about meetings, and the sheer
lack of creativity afforded me there.
Leaving allowed me to do my own thing
and start Stencil1. I was nervous about

the leap, but I was finally free to design

without other peoples direction or
approvala truly liberating endeavor.
I believe the DIY movement sprang from
similar scenarios. A collective distaste
for mass-market culture has led many of
us to say, No more! Artists, designers,
crafters, and the creatively curious, like
me, continue to say farewell to the
everyday by expressing ourselves in
new and exciting ways.
When I was a teenager in the 80s, kids
made their own styles. Punk, Goth, and
New Wave were in, and you could
really make a statement by cutting up
your clothes or writing on your sneakers.

Now, these kinds of styles can be bought

like a uniform at the mall. The handmade
look is everywhere, from raveled edges
on mass-market clothing to dripping
paint on network TV graphics. Vintagestyle clothing and housewares can be
attained without setting foot in a thrift
store or saving a dime. Consumer
products Web sites allow you to
customize sneakers and T-shirts with the
click of a mouse, but, of course, youre
limited to their designs and colors. Now
with the resurgence of DIY, there is a
growing backlash to cookie-cutter,
mass-produced culturenot to mention
the overblown prices. I say
customization, authenticity, and
uniqueness are the new luxury.

Save your money. My books show you

how to customize shoes and shirts to
your own aesthetic. Get ready to say no
more to fake handmade! Love the
vintage look? I can teach you how to get
it. Plus, youll have the tactile
experience of transforming clothes,
bedding, and so much more. Rejoice,
control freaks! You have the power.
Youre choosing the surface; youre
choosing the colors. Think youre not
creative? Youre probably just a
perfectionist. My first attempt at
stenciling was a smudgy mess. Practice
on cardboard first before you paint your
grandmas antique linen napkins.

In Stencil 101, I shared some designs

from my Stencil1 line with inspirations
that ranged from pop culture to nature.
Then in Stencil 101 Decor, I shared my
interest in pattern design and home
decor. Now with Stencil 201, I give you
a little of both, while throwing in some
exciting new techniques from amazing
guest artists and craftspeople. They have
inspired me throughout my career and,
hopefully, they will inspire you too.
While working with Jenny Hart, I was
amazed at how embroidery brought new
life to my stencil design. It was like
seeing it for the first time. Thats the
cool thing about creativity: No two
artists experience the same thing in the

same way. You will do things with these

stencils I would never have imagined
and I hope youll send me pictures!
This book is chock-full of advanced
stenciling techniques so you can step it
up with more DIY power. You will find
how-tos for more than twelve new
surfaces, allowing you to customize even
more of your life. Plus, you can follow
my step-by-step instructions for
designing your own stencils for full
creative control.
By putting out my stencil line and these
books, I hope to perpetuate the art of
stenciling. Its an art form that
transcends social and economic barriers

stencil art decorates the world, from

the wealthiest manors to the grittiest
urban streets. I hope you enjoy and are
inspired by this new book and stencils. I
know many of you will surprise me with
what you create. You always give me
great pleasure and build up my creative
energythe great give and take. So with
that I say a big, fat, Thank you for your
support!

MATERIALS
Everything You Need to Know to Get
Started
All materials recommended in this
book can be found at your local
hardware or art supply store.
STENCILS
Stencils come in all sorts of materials,
but most are made of Mylar (polyester)
sheets or from card stock. Mylar will
last longer, of course. Ive used some of
my Mylar stencils more than fifty times.

If you use water-based paint, you can

gently wash the Mylar stencils with
soapy water and a sponge afterward to
extend their life. Although you cant
wash card-stock stencils, they too are
reusable, at least for several uses. To
extend the life of your card-stock
stencils, wipe excess paint from the
stencil after useespecially around the
edges. No matter what sort of stencils
you use, allow them to dry flat and store
them in a dry, flat place. Flip to the back
of the book for 25 pages of stencils to
choose from. You can find more stencils
at www.stencil1.com, and in Stencil 101
and Stencil 101 Decor. Or, design and
cut your own (see How to Make Your
Own Stencils on).

BRUSHES & ROLLERS

Stencil brushes
Stencil brushes are different from
standard paintbrushes in that they have a
round, flat bristle head and are a little
stiffer, to allow stencil pouncing.
Pouncing is basically a technique in
which you tap the paint onto the stencil
rather than brushing it on. The brushes
come in a variety of diameters; I
recommend any size between 1/4 in/6
mm and 11/2 in/4 cm.
Foam brushes

These affordable brushes, usually made

of gray foam with a wood handle, are
great for small stencil projects. They can
be discarded after use. Newer designs
called pouncers (or spouncers) have a
dome-shaped head and are better for
stenciling than the rectangular ones,
especially if you want to use the
pouncing technique. They cost more but
are also more versatile.
Mini foam rollers
I recommend a 4-in-/10-cm-wide foam
roller with a handle. This rollers highdensity, tight-celled construction creates
smooth-finish coats on walls and other
surfaces.

ADHESIVES
Repositionable spray adhesive
This adhesive is used to hold your
stencil securely in place while you are
stenciling your design. Youll apply it
lightly to the back of the stencil, allow it
to dry until it is tacky, and then attach the
stencil to the surface you are painting.
This adhesive is great for rounded
furniture projects, but it is not
recommended for edible projects!
Blue painters tape
Use this tape for holding your stencil in

place. It wont damage your surface, and

it works beautifully for stenciling walls.
Any other type of tape will pull the
existing paint off your surface or leave
an oily stain.
CUTTING TOOLS
Utility knife with #11 blades and/or an
electric stencil cutter/burner
You will also need a rubber or glass
cutting board if attempting to cut your
own stencils.
Scissors

Any type of crafting shears will be fine

for cutting the shrink plastic in Project 7.
PAINTS, INKS & OTHER
PIGMENTS
Choose the paint appropriate for the
surface you are painting. See the chart
below for suggestions or consult with
your paint supply store to choose the
right paint.
SURFACE: PAINT TYPE
CANVAS: Acrylic, oil, or spray paints
(Be aware that oil paints are much less
forgiving and messier than acrylics.
They are better for professional usage!)

CARD STOCK: Stencil1 Sprayer,

pigment ink pads, acrylic paint, or poster
paint
FABRIC FOR APPAREL, HOME
LINENS: Fabric paint, Stencil1
Sprayer, or acrylic paint with fabric
medium (acrylic polymer emulsion)
mixed at 1:1 ratio
GLASS, MIRROR: Porcelain or glass
paint (For non-permanent applications
such as holiday window painting, you
can use acrylic or tempera paint.)
PORCELAIN, CHINA, POTTERY:
Porcelain or glass paint

STONE, CONCRETE: Stencil1

Sprayer or acrylic paint (Use
polyurethane varnish to weatherproof if
project is for outdoor use.)
SUEDE, LEATHER: Water-based
acrylic paint designed for leather or
leather paint
WALL: Acrylic, latex, or spray paint
WOOD: Acrylic or oil paint (Your
design must be glaze-coated after
stenciling to protect the design.)
MATERIALS (CONT.):
MISCELLANEOUS

Bleach paste pen

A bleach paste pen contains a thick
easy-to-control paste, perfect for
stenciling.
Cardboard boxes or sheets
Place boxes or sheets of cardboard
between fabrics (T-shirts and
pillowcases, for example) to prevent
paint from seeping through to the next
layer. Sheets or boxes should just fit
inside the fabric, not stretching it too
much, because that would distort your
design.
Glass etching cream

Etching cream removes a layer of

surface or etches on glass and mirror.
Level
Made with your inner perfectionist in
mind, a level will ensure a nice, level
design on your wall.
Paint palettes
A saucer, plate, plastic egg carton, or
artists paletteany of these will do for
holding and mixing your paints.
Paper towels
These are essential for cleanup.

Plaster or joint compound

This is great for embossing walls and
can be found at the hardware store.
Ruler/Straightedge
A ruler or straightedge is used for
perfecting a design on your surface and
is ideal for patterns on the wall with
even, consistent measurements.
Sandpaper
Sandpaper can be used to smooth walls,
furniture, and other surfaces for painting.
Scrap cardboard or thick paper

Its helpful to keep scrap cardboard or

paper on hand to place around the outer
edges of your stencil and surface. This
way you wont get paint outside the
edges of the stencil, especially if you are
spray painting.
Shrink plastic sheets
Remember Shrinky Dinks? Well, you
can still buy shrink film at office supply
and craft stores.
T-shirts
Paint and bleach love 100 percent cotton
T-shirts. You can use standard cotton Tshirts like Hanes or Fruit of the Loom, or

get an array of colors and cuts by

American Apparel or Alternative
Apparel.
Wax paper
This will be used for embossing the
cards in Project 15.

EDS
FAVORITE
THINGS
Me Likey!

For cutting
The X-Acto #11 Classic Fine Point
Blade is the way to go. X-Acto knives
are affordable and, as long as you
remember to change the blades when

they dull, youll be zipping through your

designs in no time. I have also used an
X-Acto Craft Swivel Knife, which is
ideal for cutting cured shapes.
If you are really serious, a stencilcutting kit, which is an electric heated
knife, will really speed up your cutting!
The knife cuts through acetate and Mylar
like butta. Always cut your acetate on a
glass cutting board or a cooking sheet.
For stenciling walls
When using a larger stencil, I have two
favorite tools: a 3/4-in/2-cm dense foam
roller and a 11/2-in/4-cm round stencil
brush.

The roller is great because the dense

foam doesnt hold too much paint, so
there is less chance of overloading the
roller and less chance of having a messy
result. Also, they are only a few inches
wide, so they are easy to manage. Dense
foam rollers are ideal for the larger
stencils I sell, such as the patterns in
Stencil 101 Decor, and the oversize
stencils I sell on my Web site, such as
the 6-foot/183-cm birch trees. I cant
imagine doing those with a brush! These
rollers are readily available in the paint
department of your hardware store.
The large stencil brush makes stenciling
bold patterns go by so much faster than
with a smaller stencil brush. It also

allows you more control, so you can

experiment with dry-brush techniques
that can yield a more distressed look.
Its also great for any stencil that has
more open areas to fill in. I often see
these brushes at home decor paint stores.
And hallelujah! Now you dont have to
buy a lot of paint for smaller projects
with the new sample-size jars of paint
from Benjamin Moore. These only cost a
few bucks and are perfect for one-wall
stencil projects.
For stenciling T-shirts
I think the best results come from using
either my Stencil1 Sprayers or jarred
fabric paint with a 3/4-in/2-cm, round,

dense bristle stencil brush.

Stencil1 Sprayers are acid-free archival
inks. They are multi-surface, meaning
you can use them on wood, paper, and,
yes, fabric. When used on T-shirts or
other apparel, they must be heat sealed
with an iron for 1 to 2 minutes so they
will adhere to the fabric. On T-shirts,
they are super-fast, easy-to-use, and give
you a soft, vintage look, unlike iron-ons
or thicker fabric paints. You can create
graffiti-inspired looks, such as drips and
overspray. You can also use more than
one color to create color gradients over
one stencil design.
If you prefer using jarred fabric paint
and a brush for a cleaner appearance, I

think a 3/4-in/2-cm round, dense bristle

stencil brush is a must. I prefer these
over foam brushes. Dense bristle
brushes are more predictable, meaning
you can control the amount of paint the
brush picks up, and the round shape of
the brush seems to work better than the
cheap, rectangular, foam brushes.
For stenciling paper
I have two favorites: Stencil1 Sprayers
are perfect for paper projects (I stand by
my product because I have developed it
to work great). Specialty pigment ink
pads are terrific too.
When you use the sprayers on paper,

they dry instantly. You can make cards,

posters, journal pages, scrapbook pages
you name it. You can also pour some
in a paint dish and use it with a foam or
bristle brush. Cosmetic sponges work
very well with the inks for applying to
paper too.
Specialty pigment ink pads are not like
regular ink pads. They contain special
pigment ink and the pad tends to be
softer. They are often used with rubber
stamps and are great for stenciling. I like
to use a bristle brush, swipe it along the
pad a bit, then stencil onto paper. The
best thing is that it is impossible to
overload the brush with ink, which is the
number one issue with paint stenciling.

Of course I have to mention Sharpie.

Sharpies are ideal for stenciling cards or
other paper projects. Theyve introduced
a lot of fun new colors and their new
dual-tipped marker makes stenciling fine
details a breeze.
In the coming year, you will see Stencil1
release a considerable number of new
products. Using my years of experience
and working with the best people in the
field, we are currently developing a
whole line of stenciling tools to make
your projects easier and your creativity
flow!
Money-saving tips

Use plastic egg cartons as paint palettes.

They are washable and reusable too!
White T-shirts can be found cheap at the
thrift store. Find the nice thin ones,
bleach them, and you have a great
vintage-looking T-shirt ready for your
stencil magic!
Use leaves as inverted stencils. Lay
them down on the surface you are
painting and spray around them with
spray paint.

TECHNIQUES
Basic and Advanced Moves
Stenciling is different from traditional
ways of paintingfrom the brushes and
the preparation to the motion of painting
itself. Here is a guide to the basics of
stenciling, along with advanced
techniques you can try. Remember,
always clean your stencils with water
and soap when you finish a project so
you can use them again and again.
The basics
Starting with the most basic of tools, the

brush you use should be a round, flatheaded stencil brush with firm bristles.
Sizes vary from 1/4 in/6 mm in diameter
to 2 in/5 cm in diameter across the
bristle head. Choose your brush size
based on the size of the open areas in the
stencil you are using. In other words, for
small detailed stencils, you will want to
use a small, 1/4- to 1/2-in/6- to 12-mm
brush, while for large, pattern stencils, a
2-in /5-cm brush will be more efficient.
Since kindergarten, we have painted by
dipping a brush into the paint jar, and
then going right to our paper (or wall or
cat) with that loaded brush. Not so with
stenciling, which requires a dry-brush

technique. To dry-brush, dip your brush

in a small amount of paint. Now, before
painting in the stenciled areas, dry off
the brush by dabbing some of the paint
onto a plate or a paper towel. You need
very little paint to fill in the open areas
of a stencil, and using too much will
cause paint to seep under the edges of
your stencil.
Now you have your appropriately sized
brush loaded with just the right amount
of paint, and youre itching to apply it.
Lets talk about motion. The goal of
stenciling is crisp, clean edges. The
most effective painting method is an upand-down, pouncing motion, dabbing
the paint until the open areas of the

design are filled in. You want to avoid

the classic, paint-brushing motion of
sweeping paint across a surface. Talk
about seepage! With large open stencil
areas, you may want to use brush strokes
in the center of the open areas and then
pounce around the edges. This
combination of techniques will speed
things along and still give you crisp
edges.
Ohh, thats shady!
A nice way to create some depth in your
design is to shade in the stencil areas.
Rather than have one even amount of
color across your design, you can darken
the edges of the open design areas. First,

lightly pounce in all the open areas with

color. Then, from the outside edge of the
open area moving inward, brush in more
color. Finally, starting on the solid area
of stencil, brush inward across all the
edges of the open areas. This trick
creates depth and makes your work look
more labor intensive.
A kind gesture
Remember, a stencil is really just a
guide to help you draw or paint the
image or pattern you see. You may think
you should fill all the cutout shapes to do
it right, but this trick will let you be
more expressive, especially with bold
pattern designs such as those found in

Stencil 101 Decor. Rather than a

pouncing motion, use regular paint
strokes to paint in the open shapes,
working in the direction they are shaped.
This technique reminds me of Sumi-e
painting, the Japanese art of painting
black ink on white paper. The end result
gives a more painterly or hand-drawn
look.
Stencil within a stencil
Again, stencils dont always have to be
filled in with solid fields of color. By
layering a small, repeating stencil over a
larger stencil with very bold cutouts, you
get a textural, shape-within-a-shape
effect. Imagine you want to paint on a T-

shirt a large open stencil of the number

1. You lay the 1 on the shirt, and then lay
a stencil of hundreds of tiny stars on top
of the 1 stencil. Once you paint, you will
have a 1 made up of hundreds of little
stars! And you dont have to use a
stencil for the top layeryou can lay a
piece of lace, a window screen, mesh,
etc. Be experimental.
Aged beauty
It seems like every new restaurant that
pops up in New York these days has an
old-world look to it. I love it when the
vintage look is done right. It gives a
place character and makes you feel it has
been there for one hundred years. There

are stenciling tricks that allow you to

achieve this look for yourself. First, do
not fill in all the areas of the design or
apply the paint evenlygo heavy in
some areas and light in others. If tiling a
pattern on a wall, you may leave out
sections of the pattern, giving a
dissipating look to the overall print. Or,
once stenciled, you can rub, drag, or
smear the paint, or even sand off areas
of the design. You may choose to paint
with a crackle or faux finish paint or
apply aging glazes to your stenciled
design. Consult your specialty paint
store for a variety of choices.
TIP: Do not attempt a faux marble finish
youre not fooling anyone!

Livin large
Some of the stencils on my Web site are
huge: 6-foot/183-cm birch trees and 7foot/213-cm grizzly bears! Well, guess
what? These stencils are easier and
quicker to put on a wall if you use the
right toola dense foam roller. All you
do is tape the stencil in place with
painters tape (the stencil comes in one
piece!) and whip out a 3- to 4-in-/7.5- to
10-cm-wide dense foam roller.
Remember, start with just a little bit of
paintroll some paint onto a solid area
of the stencil to get excess paint off
then roll into the cutout design areas. Fill
in all the open areas, and you should be
done in under twenty minutes, no brushes

necessary!

HOW TO
MAKE YOUR
OWN
STENCILS
Its All About You
There are several ways to design your
own stencils. You can draw your
designs on the stencil material itself, or
you can design something on the
computer and print it out.

Hand-drawing your own stencil

designs
Materials needed: card stock or thin
acetate or transparency sheets, pencil,
black marker, rubber or glass cutting
board, utility knife and #11 blades,
electric stencil cutter/burner (optional)
Hand-drawing your stencil designs is a
great way to get started in stencil making
before jumping into more complicated
computer-generated designs. Stencils are
made of various cutout shapes, called
islands. The spaces between these
shapes are called bridges. When you
draw your design, you want the bridges
to be strong; otherwise, the stencil will
rip easily.

Take, for example, our simple star

pattern. On the left, the white areas
between the black cutout shapes are too
thin and will rip or tear. The design on
the right shows those areas made wider
and, therefore, stronger. Keep this in
mind as you draw your designs.

For instance, if you were creating a heart

stencil, youd trace the shape onto your
stencil material and then fill in the heart
shape with black marker to indicate the

area to be cut out. Keep in mind that the

white areas will have to connect with
bridges. Otherwise, when the stencil is
cut, the unconnected areas, or islands,
will simply fall out. Bridges are what
hold the stencil together, so you have to
create bridges to the island. A simple
example of this is the letter e. The letter
e has a hollow area known in typography
circles as a counter. If you were to cut
out your letter e to make a stencil, you
also would be cutting away the island,
or counter. To remedy this, you have to
create a bridge to the island with black
pen (see diagram below). The wider you
make your bridge, the stronger your
stencil will be.

To start, choose a pattern and draw or

trace it on transparency film, acetate, or
card stock using a black marker with a
pointed tip. Fill in the designs open
shapes with black marker. Everything
black will be the cut-away portion of the
stencil. Once youve completed filling in
the areas to be cut out, youll cut out
your stencil.
Designing stencils on the computer

Materials needed: Photoshop or

comparable photo editing computer
program; printer or print facility; card
stock, thin acetate, or transparency
sheets; rubber or glass cutting board;
utility knife and #11 blades; electric
stencil cutter/burner (optional)
If you want to make an image for your
stencil on your computer, the first step is
to plan out your design. It pays to think
ahead here. First, consider the size of
your stencil. This is usually determined
by where you will be applying the
image: a specific wall, a certain area on
a T-shirt. Next, draw your image or
select a source image. If working from a
source image, make sure you have the

rights to use it if you plan on distributing

it. Next, choose an image with detail and
contrast, not a blurry or overexposed
photo. If you are planning on making a
small stencil, you will probably want to
choose a less detailed image. Cutting out
intricate detail is very difficult by hand.
TIP: Dont feel you have to use the
exact details of the photo. Say, for
example, you are making a stencil of a
skull. When you search around for
images, maybe you like the eye sockets
on one photo, the nose detail on another,
the teeth on another. In the photo editor,
you can combine these features into one,
new, perfected image and then work
from that Frankensteined photo. I am

getting ahead of myself, but its

something to consider at this stage of the
game.
Once youve settled on your design,
bring your final reference image into
your photo editor. Size your design to
the exact size you want the stenciled
image to be (click Image, Image size,
then enter new dimensions in the
document size boxes). Print out the
resized image to be certain the size is
correct.
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN
STENCILS (CONT.)
Convert your image to grayscale (click

Image, Mode, Grayscale). Duplicate the

layer, name it Reference, and shut it
off. This is so you can always refer back
if needed. Select your main layer again
to work on.
Paint away the detail of the photo you
are not using in the stencil design. Select
the paintbrush tool, select white as the
color you are painting with, and adjust
your brush size to a size thats easy to
work with. For example, if you are
doing a stencil from a photo of
someones face, you can paint white all
of the photos background detail, his or
her neck and shirt, etc. You should also
paint in details that you feel will
disappear when you contrast the image

in the next steps.

Next, play with brightness and contrast
to give it the stencil look (click Image,
Adjustments, Brightness/Contrast). Start
by adjusting the contrast to 100 percent.
Now, adjust the brightness until you get
more of a contrasted stencil appearance.
Not looking like a stencil? Maybe your
photo was too low-contrast or grainy.
Another sometimes better way is to
adjust levels (click Image, Adjustments,
Levels), then slide your input levels of
black, white, and gray until you have a
stencil look.
Now, here is the tricky part. Just
because it looks like a stencil doesnt

mean it will cut right. You have to create

the bridges and eliminate the islands
(see previous section). As with handdrawing stencils, the islands have to be
eliminated on the computer. You can do
this two ways: Use the paintbrush tool to
draw in bridges that create peninsulas,
or fill in the islands with black, meaning
they too will be a part of the design that
is cut away.
Here is how we typically draw an eye:

If you cut out all the black areas, the eye

shape would just be one hollow shape
and the detail would cut away as well so

Here is the eye with bridges:

And remember, you are making stencil

art. Feel free to draw freehand areas
into your design that you could not cut
into the stencil. For example, add some
white dots in the eye to give the eye
some life. You are an artist, not just a
stencil artist!

So create all the bridges you need

throughout the image to eliminate the
islands. Make the bridges thick enough
that they wont tear.
Next, print your design. If you have a
laser printer, you can print directly onto
transparency or acetate sheets; just make
sure that your print medium is

compatible with the printer (check the

packaging). If you do not have
compatible paper, no worries; you can
print on card stock (heavy-weight
paper), then cut the acetate on top of this
print. If you do not have a printer, go to
the local print facility and have them
print it for you.
Cutting
Now, time to cut it out! A utility knife
with a #11 blade is the weapon of
choice. Heres a tip: Make your life
easier and change the blades often. Wait,
did you hear me? Change the blades
often. They get dull fast! Do all of your
cutting on a rubber cutting board or a
thick glass cutting board with a smooth

surface. Some swear by cutting on glass,

as it has more resistance than the rubber
boards and makes the cutting go faster.
See what works for you.
Tape the acetate to your printed image
so it doesnt slip around while cutting,
and place both sheets on the cutting
board. Starting with the smallest,
innermost point of the design, cut out the
black areas. The more you cut away, the
weaker the sheet becomes, so be
cautious and take your time. If you rip a
bridge, press onyou can always tape it
back together and trim away any excess
tape. You will find your most
comfortable way of cutting; some like to
move or rotate the entire sheet rather

than trying to cut curves with just the

blade movement. Depending on the
complexity of the design, this could take
minutesor it could take an evening or
two! This step just takes practice.
TIP: If you own an electric stencil
cutter/burner, you should trace the
stencil design to the acetate, then cut it
out with the glass board below. These
heated knives cut through transparency
sheets and acetate like butta, but you
dont want paper or rubber involved
with the heated knife!
You can also send Stencil1 your art for
custom laser-cutting in any size:
www.stencil1.com/quote.php. Once you

have cut out the design, you can remove

the printed backing. Your reusable
stencil is ready to use!

How-to
Projects
Weve stepped it up here and provided
you with twenty-five advanced step-bystep stencil projects! We are not only
painting herewe cover embroidery,
plastering, glass etching, and more.
Once you learn these techniques, you
can customize almost any surface in
your home.

PROJECT 1 Lets Face It

Make a multilayer stencil of a
persons face.

OVERVIEW
I think everyone should have a stencil
of his or her own face. What better way
to make something personal than by
stenciling your face on it? Think of the
possibilitiesbook covers, pillows, Tshirts, your bedroom door. You can
also make a stencil of someone elses
facea hero to paint on a canvas, an
enemy to paint on a dartboard, its up
to you!
MATERIALS
Digital photo of a persons face
Photo editing software
Printer or print facility

Card stock
Thin acetate sheets, or rubber or
glass cutting board
Utility knife and #11 blades
Electric stencil cutter/burner*
*optional
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Find a face
First, you need a photo of a face. It
should include head and shoulders, so
the entire outline of the head is in the
picture. Ideally, this should be a highresolution image with clear details of the
facial features. Some shadows and

highlights are ideala little shadow

under the nose, some line details of the
features, etc. For this project, I used a
vintage photo of my mom that I scanned.
Old photos are great for making stencils
since they are often high contrast.

2. Doctor the image

Open the digital photo in your photo
editing software. Size your photo to the

exact size you want the stenciled image

to be (click Image, Image Size, then
enter new dimensions in the document
size boxes). Save, and print out the
resized image to be certain the size is
correct.

Next, remove any areas of the photo that

will not be a part of the stencil. Using
the brush tool, paint the background, and

if you choose, paint away the neck and

shoulder with white until all you see is
the head. In this case I am including the
neck and shirt detail.

Convert your image to grayscale (click

Image, Mode, Grayscale). Dont flatten

the image; keep the layers. Now, name
your one layer of the photo Main.
Duplicate the layer and name the new
layer Reference. Move this
Reference layer to the top, lock it, and
shut it off. You can always click it on to
refer to this layer for viewing details of
the photo. Now click on the Main
layer again to select it.

3. Make adjustments for light features

This is a good time to mention that if the
subject has light features, you will want
to trace these features so they dont
disappear when we pump the contrast of
the image. In this example, my moms
eyebrows are faint, so I made a new

layer and painted over the eyebrows in

black. Later, be sure to merge this layer
into the Main layer. Also, if your
subject has light-colored hair, you may
want to do this extra step in order to
include that detail in your stencil. Make
a new layer and name it Hair (or
Hair-did). Using the brush tool, paint
the hair areas black. It will look like a
solid black wig or toupee right now but
when stenciling, you can paint this area
in with the real hair color. Since my
moms hair is dark, I didnt have to do
this step.

4. Create layers of the stencil

Create a new layer and name it Face.
Paint the shape of the face or trace with
the pen tool and fill the selection. It

should be one solid shape. The

silhouette face layer is done! I also did
this for the light blouse, which I intend to
make into another stencil; I would do
this to the jacket too and create another
layer for it. These would all be separate
stencils so they should be on their own
layers and named appropriately
Shirt, Jacket, etc. Once complete,
I shut off those layers and locked them.

5. Adjust contrast
In the layers window, select the Main
layer with your photo on it.
Adjust the Brightness/Contrast (click

Image, Adjustments,
Brightness/Contrast). This will
exaggerate the details, making it look
more like a stencil. Play with these
controls until you have a more stencillike image. Another sometimes better
way to adjust your image is with Levels
(click Image, Adjustments, Levels).
Slide your input levels of black, white,
and gray until you have a stencil look.
Looks like a stencil, right? Youre not
done yet!

6. Make it work
Just because it looks like a stencil does
not mean it will cut properly.
Remember, the black areas will be cut
out and the white areas will be your
remaining stencil. In this step, we have
to remove any islands from the design or
add in bridges to turn the islands into

peninsulas (See How to Make Your

Own Stencils). First, identify the
islands. If they are details you dont
want, fill them in with the black
paintbrush. To keep these details, add
bridges extending from the white areas
across the black areas surrounding them
using the paintbrush tool with white.
You may need to alternate between
black and white brush strokes: black to
remove detail, white to add detail. Make
the bridges thick enough so that they
wont tear.
In my photo, I had to make bridges in the
eyes and fill in islands in the hair. As for
the white dots in the eyes, which are
islands, I will just paint these in

freehand once all done. This light in the

eyes really gives your painting life!

Some cutout or black areas may be too

large to cut all at once: for example, the
hair sections. You can get creative with
bridging by adding multiple bridges in
the hair disguised as hair details (such
as inserting a bridge where you have a
part in your hair or adding a lot of
waves). You can choose to separate the
Hair from this Main layer and then

stencil paint this layer in separately in

its own color.

7. Register all the layers

Make a new layer and name it
Registration Marks. Its helpful to
make registration marks so each layer
aligns perfectly. Each stencil you cut
should have the same registration marks
on it. Draw two to four very small

triangles and place one in each corner,

about 1/2 in/12 mm in from the borders
of the document. Why a triangle shape?
They offer more precise alignment, and
are easier to cut.
You should have a three- or four-layer
document: Registration Marks,
Main, Face, and possibly Hair,
Jacket, and Shirt. I also created
stencil layers for the whites of the eyes
and the lips.
To help you see all the stencil layers I
created, I converted my file to RGB and
colored each layer a different color.
Heres the image:

8. Print your design

If you have a laser printer, you can print
directly onto the transparency or acetate
sheets. See Designing Stencils on the
Computer on for instructions and tips.

Print as follows: Leave your

Registration Marks layer on during
printing of all layers. You are printing
each layer or stencil separately. Turn on
your Main layer and turn off others
and click Print. Now hide Main. Turn
on the Face layer and click Print. Hide
Face. Turn on the Hair layer, if you
left it separate, and click Print. And so
on for any other layers you may have
made.
9. Cut it out!
A utility knife with a #11 blade is the
weapon of choice. See Cutting on for
instructions and tips.

PROJECT - TShirts, Two

Ways

A: PAINT WITH A TWO-LAYER

STENCIL

Now that I am offering two-layer

designs, I have to show you how to use
them! The two-layer designs consist of a
silhouette or outline of the subject and a
second layer of detail. They give you a
more dimensional look and an
opportunity to use more color. I suggest
using a lighter color for the base or
silhouette and a darker color for the
detail. Heres how to do it!
MATERIALS
T-shirt

Cardboard box or sheet

Stencils
Blue painters tape
Adhesive stencil spray or
pushpins
Fabric paint or Stencil1
Sprayers
Stencil brush, foam brush, or
pouncer foam brush
Safety goggles (if using spray
paint)
Thick paper or newspaper to
control overspray (if using spray
paint)
Iron
INSTRUCTIONS

1. Choose your T-shirt

Pre-washed or pre-shrunk 100 percent
cotton T-shirts work best. Poly blends
(50/50) yield mixed results, since they
dont absorb the paint as easily. It is best
to experiment first, or just avoid them.
2. Choose your fabric paint
Youll find fabric paints at art supply
stores. They require no mixing, have a
thick consistency, are rich in
pigmentation, and give long-lasting
results. They even stand up to washing
and drying. You can also use acrylic
paint mixed with fabric medium (also

available at art or craft supply stores) in

a 1:1 ratio. Make sure the mixture is
well blended. Stencil1 also has a line of
multisurface sprays, Stencil1 Sprayers,
ideal for fabric (for a rougher look, you
can use traditional spray paint, but with
no guaranteed results). For a more
advanced application, try an airbrush kit.
These are available at many art supply
stores and, when used with fabric paint,
they give fantastic results. Since we are
doing two layers, choose a lighter color
for the silhouette layer (the first layer),
then choose a darker color for the
second, more detailed stencil layer.

3. Prepare your T-shirt

Stretch your T-shirt over the cardboard
to prevent paint from seeping through to
the back of the shirt. This will also
provide a flat surface to paint on. Dont

stretch the shirt too much, as too much

stretching will warp your design once
it is taken off the box.
TIP: Shirt too big for the box? You can
bind excess fabric in the back with a
rubber band to make the front side of the
shirt lie flat.
4. Position the stencil
Position the silhouette stencil and stick
four very small pieces of painters tape
on the shirt under the stencils triangular
registration marks. (These marks will
later be used to align your second layer
stencil.) Now, secure the stencil firmly
in place, using either spray adhesive or

pushpins. If you use spray adhesive,

apply a light layer of adhesive to the
back of the stencil. Allow the adhesive
to dry until the surface becomes tacky,
then position your stencil. Draw in the
triangular registration marks on the blue
tape with a pen. The tape allows you to
make your registration marks without
marking on the T-shirt and keeps you
from accidentally painting in those
triangles when stenciling.
TIP: I dont do this registration marking
when I make T-shirtsI just eyeball it!
5. Begin painting
If using a stencil brush, do not overload

it with paint. Too much paint on the

brush causes the paint to seep under the
edges of the stencil and creates blotchy
designs. Rememberstenciling is a drybrush technique. The most common
mistake is overloading the brush. It is far
better to build up the color gradually,
layer by layer, instead of using one thick
paint application. If paint begins to seep
behind your stencil or if your designs do
not have crisp defined edges, you may
be using too much paint.
Simply tap or dab the loaded brush
against the stencil openings. I
recommend practicing on paper before
you begin on your T-shirt.

If youre using spray paint, be sure to

wear safety goggles. Once you have the
stencil secured in place, cover the outer
areas of the stencil with thick paper so
as to not spray outside of the stencil.
Then, spray several small, light sprays
in the open areas of the stencil. Once all
areas are filled, carefully remove the
stencil from the shirt to see your design.
Lift the stencil horizontally, so as not to
let excess paint drip on your shirt.
TIP: If it does drip, add more drips all
around the design. Of course, you meant
to do that!
6. Seal it

You should heat press your T-shirt

before using the second stencil: After the
paint has dried, turn the shirt inside out
and iron the painted area on high heat for
1 to 2 minutes. You can also blow-dry
with a hair dryer for 1 to 2 minutes. If
you used tape, remove it before heat
sealing.
7. Position the second stencil
Now prep the shirt as you did in Step 3.
Position the second stencil over the area
you already painted. You can use the
registration marks or eyeball it. Line up
the second layer registration marks with
the marks you made from the first layer
for a perfectly layered design. For a real

DIY look, you can offset the second

layer.
8. Paint and seal
Repeat Step 5 with the detailed stencil.
Let the paint dry and repeat Step 6 to
heat seal your new two-layer design.
Your T-shirt is ready to wear.

B: STENCIL WITH BLEACH

PASTE
The bleach stencil method has been on

my Web site for years, but it is well

worth repeating since it produces some
cool effects. You may have seen this
technique featured on The Martha
Stewart Show when Martha used
Stencil1 stencils for some Halloween
shirt making. Yes, the Queen of Craft
stenciled a skull and cross bones on a Tshirtwho knew?! Martha loves
Halloween, and so do I! You can check
out the video at www.stencil1.com.
MATERIALS
Clothing, preferably 100 percent
cotton
Cardboard box or sheet

Stencil
Blue painters tape
Safety goggles
Rubber gloves
Bleach pen
Painting plate or bowl
Foam brush
Anti-Chlor, Bleach Stop, or
another bleach neutralizer
NOTE: The bleach pen is filled with a
bleach paste. The paste, as opposed to
liquid bleach, allows control of the
bleach to keep it from bleeding too far
out of the design areas. For even greater
control over the bleach, I recommend
squeezing the bleach paste onto a glass

plate and using a small foam brush to

apply the paste. INSTRUCTIONS
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Choose your clothing
Stencil1 stencils can be used to bleach
T-shirts, sweatshirts, and more. Clothing
should be 100 percent cotton for best
results. Darker items will show best
results. Start by inserting the cardboard
box inside the clothing item. This
flattens the area you want to stencil and
prevents the bleach from going through
to the next layer. The clothing item
should not be too stretched over the

cardboard; it should just fit. If you

overstretch the fabric, your design will
get distorted.
2. Position the stencil
Carefully position the stencil on the
clothing item where you would like it to
appear. Next, tape down two or three
sides of the stencil with the painters
tape to hold the stencil in place.
3. Start painting
Always wear safety goggles and gloves
when working with bleach. Squeeze a
few ounces of bleach paste out of the
pen onto a plate or into a bowl. Dip the

foam brush in the bleach and dab it onto

the clothing in the open areas of the
stencil, starting with your larger areas.
Try not to get any paste under the stencil
for a clearer design. Apply to all areas
of the design evenly.
4. Wait
You may start to see the bleach lifting
the color out of the shirt immediately.
You can leave the paste on for 5 minutes
or 4 hours, depending on the effect you
are seeking. The longer you leave the
bleach on, the more it will lift out the
original color of the clothing, so results
will vary. Too long will result in the
bleach eating holes in the shirt.

5. Rinse
Once you are satisfied with the
bleaching level, rinse the garment in
water and then plunge it into a bath of
your bleach neutralizer. Its best to have
this bath prepared and ready. Then
launder the garment as usual.
If you choose to paint an additional layer
on top of your bleached design, go back
to Step 7 of the previous tutorial on
Paint with a Two-layer Stencil.

PROJECT 3
Time to
Reflect
Stencil a design onto a mirror using
etching cream and a stencil.
FEATURED ARTIST

JEREMY
PELLEY

(FORMER ART
DIRECTOR/THING

MAKER OF ATELIER ACE)

A few months ago, I was doing a
stencil installation at the Ace Hotel
New York, where I stenciled a black
gloss bird pattern onto a matte black
hotel room wall (shown here are some
other Ace Hotel rooms I did). There I
met Jeremy Pelley, and we
immediately clicked. Jeremy is a jackof-all-trades graphic designermy
kind of guy! He and his partners,
Mathew Foster and Fritz Mesenbrink,
formed The Official Manufacturing
Co., or OMFG Co., and have designed
collateral to drool over for The Ace
and other clients. Theyve done etched
mirrors with clever quotations

throughout the Ace Hotel New York,

so I thought it fitting to ask him to
share this tutorial with us. They also
designed the Kiss Me Again stencil
using typography from vintage sheet
music.
MATERIALS
Mirror
Blue painters tape
Stencil
Spray adhesive
Foam brush
Etching cream (such as Armour
Etch)
Utility knife

Glass cleaner and damp cloth

or sponge
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Prep your mirror
Give your mirror a good wipe with a
lint-free cloth before you begin. Remove
the mirror from any frame it is in or
cover the frame with blue painters tape.
You do not want to get the etching cream
on the frame.
2. Position the stencil
Spray the adhesive evenly on the back of

the stencil. Let it dry for 30 seconds or

until its tacky to the touch. Carefully
apply the stencil firmly to the glass.
Press out any air bubbles, especially at
the edge of the cutouts, so that the stencil
is applied smoothly.
3. Apply etching cream
With a foam brush, apply a thick layer of
etching cream to the open areas of the
stencil. Completely cover the stencil
using up-and-down, left-to-right
motions. Always wear safety goggles
and gloves when using etching cream.
4. Wait

Allow the cream to sit for 10 to 20

minutes, or as directed in the
manufacturers instructions.
5. Rinse and reveal your design
Wipe off the etching cream with a damp
cloth or sponge. Use a utility knife to
peel up one corner of the stencil and
carefully peel the stencil off the glass.
Clean any remaining etching cream off
the glass immediately and wipe with a
damp cloth.
6. Check out your new custom mirror.
Hang it with pride.

PROJECT 4 Plate
Tectonics
Serve up style when you use porcelain
paint and glaze to revamp a vintage
plate.
OVERVIEW
This how-to is recycling at its most fun
stenciling a modern image or pattern
over a vintage porcelain plate is a
clever juxtaposition. Used plates are in

abundance at thrift stores and are usually

very inexpensive. So take those
mismatched, floral granny plates and
give them a whole new look.
MATERIALS
Used or vintage plate
Rubbing alcohol
Newspaper or thick paper to
control overspray
Stencil
Spray adhesive
Blue painters tape
Spray paint (for decorative
plates only!)
Food-safe porcelain paint or
glaze

Stencil brush
Cotton balls
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Prep the plate
Clean the plate of all grease. First scrub
with soap and water; then give it a
rubdown with rubbing alcohol. Let it
dry.
2. Prep your work space and stencil
Cover your work surface with
newspaper and place the plate on the
paper. Spray some adhesive on the back

of the stencil, let dry until its tacky to

the touch, and place the stencil on the
plate where you want the design to
appear. Press down on all areas to
secure it to the plate so that no paint will
seep under the stencil.
3. Block & roll
To protect the rest of the plate, mask the
areas outside the stencil with thick paper
and blue painters tape. Make sure to
tape down the paper, as paint always
seems to find its way under there.
4. Choose your paint
If your plates are for wall decor and not

for serving food, you can use spray

paint. If so, spray a thin layer of paint on
your plate in the open stencil areas.
Allow to dry.
If you want to use your new plates to
serve food, you must use nontoxic, foodsafe porcelain paint. Check the label to
make sure your paint is nontoxic and
dishwasher safe.
Using a stencil brush, paint in the open
stencil areas with the porcelain
paint/glaze. Let the paint dry and apply a
second coat. This will help in hiding the
brush marks. Until the paint is baked on,
you can correct any mistakes by just
washing the paint off the plate. Allow

the paint/glaze to dry overnight. This

paint must be baked in the oven
following the manufacturers directions
on the label.
5. Reveal
Lift off the stencil and remove the tape
and paper. If any adhesive residue is on
the plate, carefully remove it with a
cotton ball and rubbing alcohol. Avoid
rubbing the painted areas. (Now would
be a good time to bake the food-safe
porcelain paint.)
6. Display
Hook a plate hanger to the back of your

plate, mount it on the wall, and do

another!

PROJECT 5 Get Plastered

Create a three-dimensional wall
design by embossing with plaster or
joint compound.
OVERVIEW
Embossing walls with stencils is far
from a new technique. It dates back
centuries, but we can put a modern twist
on it. While classic, ornate borders of
flowers and curlicues are beautiful, why
not have a three-dimensional baby bunny

on your wall? For those less committed,

this technique can also be applied to a
wood panel.
Raised plaster stencil designs can be
used in a variety of ways: placed here
and there as accents or positioned
uniformly around windows and doors, or
along the top of a wall, just as you might
use a wallpaper border. Try grizzly
bears as medallions around a ceiling
light fixture.
You are only limited by your
imagination, creativity, and ladder
height. You can apply these lovely
stencil designs over plaster or drywall
that has not yet been painted, or do them
on a painted wall in a complementary

color. The color can be mixed into the

joint compound before you apply it, or
you can paint the finished plaster design
after it has dried. To add tint to your
plaster or joint compound, you can mix
in a pure pigment, (available at paint
stores), fabric dye, or concrete and
stucco powdered colors. Whichever dye
you choose, consult your paint store to
be sure its compatible with your plaster
or compound.
Using raised plaster stencils can provide
you with a lot of fun as you dress up that
plain dining room or bedroom or den.
Spread your wings and see what you can
do.

MATERIALS
Stencil
Blue painters tape
Joint compound (found in the
paint supply department of any
home or hardware store)
Flat-edged palette knife (also
found in the home or hardware
store)
Glaze or paint*
*optional
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Choose your location

A smooth wall or ceiling or a lightly

textured surface works best, but
experiment to see what you like. Would
a busy or pronounced texture look good
with a raised design? Just give it a try to
know for sure. Once youve determined
where you think your chosen design will
look best, tape the stencil to the surface.
2. Apply the compound
Using the palette knife spread joint
compound over the open areas of the
stencil, taking care to fill the individual
cutouts well. Smooth out the
compound, and wait a few minutes for
the mud to stiffen a little.

3. Peel away the stencil

Now, gently lift the stencil from the
surface, loosening the tape at the same
time. Start at one side and lift toward the
other in one smooth motion. If you mess
up, no big deal. Just scrape off the
drywall compound and do it again. If it
takes a couple of tries or two, chalk it up
to the learning process. Creating such
simple beauty will certainly be worth it.
4. Wait
Let your design cure for 24 hours.
5. Add color

Once your design has dried, you can

apply color to the raised area. If you
love color and detail, carefully brush on
paint or glaze over your raised designs
to make them stand out more. If you are
after something subtler, paint over the
designs as you paint the wall. They will
blend in more, but still add a beautifully
understated look.

PROJECT 6 Block Party

Make and decorate your own wood
block puzzle.
OVERVIEW
For this project, you will be painting
wood blocks with six different stencil
images to create a six-sided block
puzzle. It is a little time consuming,
mostly due to drying time, but when you
are done, you will have six fun images to
challenge young (and old) minds.

NOTE: If you are making these for

children, use only nontoxic, child-safe
paint and glaze. The label should clearly
state that the product is dry-film, childsafe, and nontoxic.
MATERIALS
Nine 2-in/5-cm unfinished wood
blocks (found at many art supply
and craft stores or online)
Blue painters tape
Newspaper or thick paper to
control overspray
Stencil
Stencil brush
Variety of acrylic paints (I
recommend 6 different bright

colors)
Stencil1 Sprayers or specialty
ink pads*
Spray acrylic glaze
*optional
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Prep your blocks
On a flat surface protected with
newspaper, arrange your blocks closely
together in a square grid, three rows of
three, if working with nine cubes. Make
sure the blocks are very close together,
and that the tops of the blocks are lined
up evenly. This is the first surface you

will be paintingyup, all nine blocks.

To avoid shifting or movement while
painting, tape the cubes together with
blue painters tape on the outer edges.
2. Plan your design
You want the stencil design to reach
all the cubes. This may involve
duplicating the design across the surface
area, or painting all the cubes a solid
color on this side, letting the paint dry,
then stenciling a design on top of that
colored surface. Stencil1 Sprayers can
be used on wood to spray background
colors. You do not want to have any
blank cubes. With blue painters tape,
secure your stencil in place along the

outer edges of the blocks.

3. Paint it up
With a stencil brush, take up a small
amount of paint, and fill in the open
areas of the stencil design onto the
wood. Paint with an up-and-down
motion, taking care to keep your blocks
flat on the work surface. If you are
layering or applying images more than
once, be careful to not smudge the first
design when you move the stencil to do
the second one. As an alternative to
paint, try specialty ink pads made for
wood or the Stencil1 Sprayers. Once
youre satisfied with the paint job, lift
the stencil and allow the design to dry.

4. Lather, rinse, repeat

Untape the cubes, turn all the cubes to a
new blank side, and go back to Step 1
for the next side. Repeat Steps 1 through
4 until all sides are covered.
5. Seal the deal
Now, seal all your paintwork with spray
acrylic glaze. Yes, you need to coat the
blocks one side at a time, waiting for
each side to dry before doing the next
one. Be sure to spray in a wellventilated area and follow the
manufacturers instructions. Allow to
dry for at least 24 hours.

6. Jumble and solve

You now have a custom-made, six-sided
block puzzle. Mix up the cubes, and let
the kids (or adults) put the stencil images
together!

FEATURED ARTIST

ELAINE
ELWICK
BARR
(ROCK N ROLL
CRAFTS)

Elaine and I met when she e-mailed

me to see if I could supply Stencil1
stencils for some craft demos she was
doing at trade shows. She wrote that
she was totally bored with the
traditional selection of stencils
available in the craft industry. How
could I say no? We eventually came to

share booths at shows, and she is now

an official licensed user of Stencil1
productsand were the best of
friends. Talk about growing a
company organically! Elaine helps me
with Stencil1 development, but on her
own she does far more than stenciling.
Check out her Web site, Rock n Roll
Crafts (Rocknrollcrafts.blogspot.com),
to see all her creations from
miniatures to glitter.

PROJECT 7 Shrinky Dink!

Stencil onto shrink plastic and turn
your shrunken designs into wearable
jewelry art.
MATERIALS
Shrink plastic (I used a frosted
shrink plastic, found at most craft
and art supply stores)
Scissors
Cosmetic sponges
Stencil

Fine-grade sandpaper
Stencil 1 Sprayers in assorted
colors
Blue painters tape
Paper hole punch
Heating tool or toaster oven
Tweezers or a chopstick to
hold down shrinking plastic
Beads and jewelry findings to
complete your jewelry piece
NOTE: Watch Elaine demonstrate how
to use Stencil1 spray paints at
www.tinyurl.com/stencilsprayvideo.
OVERVIEW
Heres a basic way to make jewelry like

Elaines butterfly example and following

is a more advanced way that Elaine
made the birdcage piece shown here (at
left).
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Prep the plastic
Start by cutting a piece of shrink plastic
to the size of your stencil. Sand both
sides of the cutout plastic in a crosshatch
pattern. This will help the spray paints
stick to the plastic.
2. Spray with base color

Spray a bit of color on one side of the

shrink plastic, and blot with a cosmetic
sponge. You only need a light spraying
of paint. When the plastic shrinks, the
colors will intensify.
3. Apply the stencil
Turn shrink plastic over, and tape the
stencil down lightly with blue painters
tape. Spray just once into a cosmetic
sponge and blot lightly over the open
areas of the stencil. This requires only a
light use of paint.
4. Make a hole
Using a paper hole punch, make a hole in

your shrink plastic where youd like

your charm to attach to the necklace,
bracelet, or earring. The hole may seem
too big for jewelry, but remember
everything is going to shrink!
5. Heat it up
Remove the stencil. With your scissors,
cut out the image along the outer edges
of the design. Heat the plastic according
to the shrink plastic manufacturers
instructions. You can use a handheld
heating tool, like a heat gun, or a toaster
oven. The plastic will start shrinking and
warping, but dont freak out. It will
flatten eventually. If youre using a
handheld heating tool, hold the plastic

with tweezers or a chopstick and start

heating from the top, being sure to
evenly heat each part of the image.
These images are pretty small, so they
are easy to shrink in this way. Something
larger or more complex in shape may be
better off in a toaster oven.
6. Wait
Once shrunken all of the way, place your
charm under something heavy, like a
book, to flatten it out. Wait just a few
minutes and voila.
7. Create your jewelry
Add your charm to a necklace, bracelet,

or earrings with a jump ring and beads

of your choice.

ADVANCED:
Heres how Elaine made the
multilayered birdcage necklace.
1. Prep the shrink plastic like in Step 1.
2. Stencil the birdcage image twice onto
the shrink plastic using Sharpie markers.
Also stencil 3 birds onto the shrink
plastic. Use an X-Acto knife to cut out
birdcage details and silhouette on one of
the images, and on the other cut out just
along the outside lines or silhouette.

Also cut out your birds. Shrink

according to the manufacturers
instructions.
3. Once cool, spray paint the shrunk
pieces. Elaine used Turquoise, white,
and buttercream yellow. Adhere two of
the birds inside the cut-out cage, using
E6000 clear adhesive glue. Assemble
with various jewelry findings.

PROJECT 8 Rock Out

Stencil river rocks for your garden
using our spray paint.
OVERVIEW
Painting rocks reminds me of my 70s
childhood. Imagine a lumpy rock painted
white, with flowers all over it. Fun, but
rather unnatural and, well, ugly. I
decided to revisit this kitschy craft with
a more tasteful touch.

MATERIALS
Smooth, large river rocks
Stencil
Blue painters tape
Stencil1 Sprayers or acrylic
paint
Stencil brush (if using acrylic
paint)
Felt*
Rubber cement*
*optional
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Choose your rock

Choose rocks with a nice, flat, smooth

surface. These are the best for stenciling.
2. Prep your surface
Thoroughly clean the rock with soapy
water to remove all the soil and allow it
to dry.
3. Position the stencil
Place your stencil on the flat side of the
rock where you want the design to
appear. The stencil should lay flat. If the
rock is curved, you will have to bend the
stencil around the curve and secure it in
place with a few pieces of blue painters
tape. Tape and cover the outside areas

of the stencil, so the ink only sprays into

the open areas of the stencil design, and
not beyond.
4. Paint and peel
For a tasteful, natural look, choose a
paint color similar to the rocks color,
most likely brown, gray, or mossy green.
Its really up to you.
4a. Spray application
With the spray bottle 8 to 12 in/20 to
301/2 cm away from the stencil, spray
lightly into the design area. A little goes
a long way. Fill in the design area and,
once satisfied, carefully peel the stencil

away from the rock and wipe the excess

ink from the stencil.
4b. Alternative brush application
Using very little paint on the brush, dab
the paint in the open areas in an up-anddown motion, carefully filling in the
design area until satisfied. Carefully
peel the stencil away from the rock.
5. Check out your design
Allow your rock to sit in the sun all day.
The heat will seal the design into the
rock.
Place it in your garden, use it as a

doorstop, or set it on your desk as a

paperweight.
TIP: If using as a doorstop or
paperweight, you will want to attach a
small piece of felt to the bottom of the
rock so you dont harm your floor or
desk. Cut a small piece of felt to the
desired shape and adhere to the rock
with rubber cement. Done!

PROJECT 9 Something
Sweet
Create cookies with stenciled patterns
using decorative icing.

FEATURED ARTIST

CHRISTIAN
SUMNER
(A BAKER IN
BROOKLYN)
Some say baking is a science.
Christian Sumner, the mad genius
behind A Baker in Brooklyn, is also a
dedicated artist. Hes a painter and
sculptor of edible materials. His Web
site, www.abakerinbrooklyn.com,
documents his processes in the
kitchen and, thanks to his background
in photography, presents his

confectionary delights in a visually

beautiful manner. Christian has
become the Stencil1 baking muse,
creating stenciled cookies and cakes
with confectioners sugar, cocoa
powder, and icing for my book launch
parties. Now this how-to shows you
some of his stellar decorative icing
techniques sure to make you drool.
While this is a cookie-stenciling
project, you will be technically
stenciling onto fondant, a sugar- and
gelatin-based sheet of icing commonly
used on decorative cakes, and then
adhering the stenciled fondant to the
cookies with royal icing. The end
result: stenciled cookies!

You will need to do a little prep work

prior to stenciling: Make the food-safe
freezer paper stencil, cookies, fondant,
and royal icing.
MATERIALS
Stencil
Freezer paper
X-Acto knife
Cookie dough
Cookie cutters
Baking sheet
Fondant
Royal icing
Rolling pin or pasta roller
Small offset spatula

Sanding sugar, colored

jimmies, or edible glitter
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Make a food-safe stencil
Select the stencil you would like to use
and trace it onto thick freezer paper.
Carefully cut out the design using an XActo knife. You will use the freezer
paper version for all of the cookies. Do
not use paper stencils or non food-safe
stencils for this project. Paper stencils
would simply deteriorate and may not be
food safe.
2. Make the cookies

You can make sugar cookies,

gingerbread cookies, or any cookie that
will be smooth after baking, to ensure
perfect stenciling. You dont want a
bumpy cookie like oatmeal or chocolate
chip. Once youve made your cookie
dough, roll it out and cut into shapes
with cookie cutters. Freeze the cut dough
for about 30 minutes so the cookies
retain their shape, then bake. Let the
cookies cool. For cookie recipe ideas,
visit www.abakerinbrooklyn.com.
3. Make the fondant
You can purchase ready-to-use fondant
on www.wilton.com or at any baking or
craft store. You can also make your own.

4. Make the icing

Royal icing is a pure white icing that
dries to a smooth, hard, matte finish.
Follow the Royal Icing recipe at right,
tinting to your desired colors. This will
be your stencil paint in this process.
TIP: Make the Royal Icing just before
you are ready to stencil, as it tends to
harden quickly. The consistency should
be somewhere between molasses and
toothpaste. It should spread easily, but
not be runny.
Now youre ready to stencil.
5. Prep the fondant

Knead the fondant to soften. You may

want to add a few drops of vanilla or
almond extract for flavor. In batches,
roll out the fondant with a rolling pin or
use a pasta roller (much easier) to a
thickness of ? in/3 mm.
6. Get ready to stencil
Hold your freezer paper stencil firmly in
place on the fondant without pressing
down too hard.
7. Paint with the icing
Using an offset spatula, scoop up a small
bit of icing and drop it into the center of
the stencil. Holding the stencil firmly in

place, gently spread a thin coating of

icing over the stencil; dont use too much
icing. Once the entire stencil is covered
in icing, sprinkle with sanding sugar or
other small edible decoration, if desired.
8. Peel and wait
Slowly and carefully lift the stencil from
the fondant, starting at one corner and
taking care not to slide the stencil. You
want to keep the edges sharp. Let the
icing set for about 5 minutes before
cutting.
9. Adhere the fondant to the cookies
Using the same cookie cutters you used

to cut the cookie dough, cut shapes out of

the stenciled fondant over the stenciled
pattern area. Spread a small dab of icing
onto a cookie to act as glue. Then lift a
stenciled fondant shape with an offset
spatula, and press very gently into place
on the cookie. Repeat until you have
adhered a stenciled fondant onto each
cookie. Then sit back and wait for your
party guests to be amazed.
ROYAL ICING
INGREDIENTS
1 cup/113 g confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons warm water

Food coloring for tinting

Vanilla extract for flavor (optional)
Makes about 1/2 cup/114 g of icing
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Mix the sugar and water in a bowl and
beat with a fork or spoon until it gets to
the proper consistency, somewhere
between molasses and toothpaste. Add
more sugar to make it thicker, or drops
of water to make it thinner.
2. Add drops of food coloring in your
desired colors and continue mixing.

3. Flavor the royal icing with a few

drops of vanilla or other flavor extract.
TIP: Keep the icing from drying out by
adding a few drops of water at a time, if
needed, and then stirring.

PROJECT 10 Tattoo You

Decorate yourself for the ultimate in
personal expression. Use body paint or
henna to stencil a tattoo on your skin.
OVERVIEW
Have a fear of commitment? Well,
heres something for you: stencil on
some temporary tattoos and wash them
off in a day or two. I put a few on and
posted the pics to Facebook and had
many a-fooled! The comments I received

were pretty funny. This tutorial is sure to

be a party hit. Even try it with the
younguns (little kids with sleeve
tattoos? Yes!). Heres how to do it.
MATERIALS
Cotton ball
Rubbing alcohol
Stencil
Skin-safe spray adhesive
(recommended for detailed
stencils)
Cosmetic sponge
Stencil brush*
Henna or body ink
(recommended: Temptus Dura

Palettes; advanced users can use

Temptu Dura liquids; both can be
found at www.temptupro.com)
*optional
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Get clean
Clean the skin with a cotton ball and
rubbing alcohol; allow to dry.
2. Stick it
Firmly hold the stencil on the skin where
you want your temporary tattoo, or use
skin-safe spray adhesive to secure the

stencil in place.
3. Tattoo you
Dab a cosmetic sponge in the specialty
ink. The ink may need to be activated
with 99 percent rubbing alcohol, so read
the manufacturers instructions. If using
brushes, I recommend using synthetic
hair. Now, pounce the sponge into the
open areas of the stencil while holding
the stencil steady. Do this until the areas
are filled.
4. Reveal
Lift the stencil. See your new tattoo! Let
dry.

5. Care and removal

Avoid washing the design area with
soapy water to extend the life of your
tattoo. The design will stay on the skin
from 2 to 5 days, depending on care. To
remove the tattoo, scrub with a soapy
washcloth and water.

PROJECT 11 Extra Layers

Make a stunning photo collage by

incorporating stenciled images.
FEATURED ARTIST

SUSAN
RIVAS

(I AM SUSANITA)
After presenting my
book Stencil 101
Decor at a PR event, I went out for
food and drinks with some of the event
crew. They had already ordered food
by the time I was able to join the table,
but Susan, the adorable gal sitting

next to me, offered me some of her

pizza. That brand of simple kindness
goes a long way with me. We
exchanged information, and when I
looked at her Web site later, I was
blown away. Susan does visual
branding and collagistrations, a term
she coined to describe her layered
combination of photography, collage,
and illustration. As soon as I saw her
work, I immediately offered her some
of my stencils and inks.
Now you can collagistrate too. This
project is terrific for embellishing
photos of friends as gifts, making
fashionable wall art, and endless
other creations. It starts with layering

stenciled designs with ink and glitter,

cutout images, scraps of paper, and
hand-drawn elements. Visit Susans
Web site for more inspiration:
www.iamsusanita.com.
MATERIALS
Magazines, books, and/or
photos
Utility knife or scissors
Paper, preferably card stock or
cardboard
Stencils
Spray adhesive*
Blue painters tape
Scrap paper to control

overspray
Stencil1 Sprayers
Glitter*
Cellophane or decorative tape
Pens and markers
*optional
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Prepare to create
Set up a flat work surface and find a
good album or playlist to get you
inspired. Collect a few images that you
like. Look through your favorite
magazines, books, vintage animal books,
or your own photo albums.

2. Start snipping
Cut out the main subjects from the
pictures that you like. You can cut them
out perfectly with a utility knife or
rough-edged with a pair of scissors.
3. Choose the paper
Choose a paper that you like for your
base or background collagistration. This
paper should be thick such as card stock
or even cardboard. If you want the
background to be a more decorative
paper (white, lined, newsprint, graph,
etc.) but feel it may be too thin, adhere it
to a card stock or cardboard base layer

with a light mist of spray adhesive or a

thin coat of glue.
4. Set your stencil
Now, position the stencil on some other
paper where youd like your pattern to
appear. To protect the outer areas from
overspray, cover the areas outside of the
stencil with scrap paper and tape down
with blue painters tape. If you like the
oversprayed look, skip this step.
5. Apply the paint
Using a Stencil1 Sprayer, spray the open
design areas of the stencil. Positioned 6
to 8 in/15 to 20 cm from the paper, spray

lightly in a sweeping motiona little

goes a long way. Carefully lift your
stencil, keeping it level with the surface,
so no extra ink drips off onto your
masterpiece. If it does drip, just drizzle
some more ink off the stencil and say, I
meant to do that! Let the ink dry. Wash
and dry your stencil.
Alternatively, you can spray tack in the
stencil areas, lift the stencil, and
sprinkle glitter on the tacky areas. Tip
the paper to remove the excess glitter,
and you have some nice glittery shapes
to play with.
6. Cut out the pieces you stenciled

These will be added to your

collagistration.
7. Piece it together
Position the images you cut out around
the page. Try to find the way the shapes
make sense with each other and the
stenciled pieces. Notice the negative
spaces. In other words, find them happy
homes on the page. Keep in mind that
you can also draw and doodle around
the objects. Once you decide where you
want to place the cutouts, tape them in
place. (You can tape on the back or on
the front. I like to show the tape; you can
do whatever you want.)

8. Collagistrate your love

For added embellishment, cut out (or
tear) pieces of extra paper. Place the
torn paper underneath or around your
cutout subject and tape or glue in place.
Doodle on and around the paper cutouts
using your favorite line pen or thin
marker. Feel free to draw within the
spaces of the stencil toowherever
your pen takes you. I try to create a
feeling of motion when drawing.
9. Admire
Keep going until you love it; then frame
it. You made a collagistration!

PROJECT 12 Heart Felt

Use the needle felting method to make
a stunning pillow from wool roving
and a recycled sweater.
FEATURED ARTIST

VICKIE
HOWELL
(CRAFT CORPS,
AWAREKNITS,
AND POP GOES

CROCHET!)
Needle felting is a fun way to make
appliqus on knitted garments and
household items. Vickie Howell is a
fiber maven and crafty do-gooder
whom I had the honor of meeting
when she invited me to be a part of her
inspiring book, Craft Corps, which
features design and craft artists who
make a difference. And what a
difference: Vickie has revolutionized
the knit and crochet scene by bringing
her funky aesthetic and compassionate
spirit to everything she does.
Here Vickie shows you how to
combine stencils and wool, before its

been spun in to yarn, to create a fresh

and fabulous needle felted pillow.
Once youve mastered the art, you can
apply this technique anywhere yarn
dares to go.
MATERIALS
Felted sweater (at least 181/4 x
181/4 in/46.35 x 46.35 cm)
Scissors
Stencil
Foam block (a little larger than
the stencil)
1 to 2 balls of wool roving (in
colors of your choice)
Felting needle (Size 38)

Sewing machine and thread

Pillow form (18 x 18 in/46 x 46
cm) or batting
NOTES: A felted sweater is a wool
sweater thats been washed in hot water
so that the fabric shrinks, creating a
thick, felt fabric. Roving is wool that has
yet to be spun into yarn. It is wispy and
fine, similar to the fibers from a cotton
ball. Wool roving can be purchased at
most craft and hobby stores or online in
kits of multiple colors. Two 2.2-oz balls
of roving (about the size of tennis balls)
will be more than enough for this
project.
INSTRUCTIONS

1. Snip it
Cut two 181/4 in/46.35 cm squares out of
the felted sweaterone from the front
and one from the back.
2. Get into position
Place the foam block under one of the
felted sweater pieces directly below
where you want your felted stencil
design. Place your stencil.
3. Pinch and poke
Once youre satisfied with the stencils
placement, take a pinch of roving for one

of the open areas of the stencil. The

amount of roving you will use in each
area depends on the size of the area and
how dense you want the wool to be.
Place enough roving in an open area to
fill in the space. You can always add
more later. With the felting needle,
lightly stab the roving into place. Take
care to hold the stencil in place with one
hand while youre needle felting with the
other.
4. Repeat
Slowly begin adding more roving to fill
in the other design areas, making sure the
fiber is situated exactly where youd like

it and changing colors as you desire.

5. Stab it
Finally, stab the roving repeatedly with
the felting needle, permanently attaching
it to the project. Stabbing causes the
fibers to intertwine, adhering the roving
to the larger piece of felt. Add more if a
thicker design is desired. Repeat this
process in all the open areas until the
design is complete.
6. Get it together
With wrong sides together and a 1/4 in/6
mm seam allowance on all four sides,
sew the two pieces together, leaving an

opening at the top big enough to insert

the pillow form or batting.
7. Stuff it
Stuff the pillow with the pillow form or
batting. Sew the opening shut, and
admire your comfy handiwork.

PROJECT 13 Pinup Star

Create a poster collage by expanding
smaller stenciled images into larger
graphics.
OVERVIEW
This how-to pays homage to poster
prints of the 60s. Many of these posters
were composed of many small images
forming the shape of a larger image or
type forming the shape of a larger image.
Imagine the sexy figure of a woman all

made up of small curvy type. In my

example, I used the retro TV stencil to
spell the letters TV. To make a large,
iconic image and fill it in with a smaller
stencil image, you will need a little bit
of freehand drawing skill.
MATERIALS
Poster board
Pencil
Stencil
Stencil brush
Ink pad, markers, Stencil1
Sprayers, or acrylics
INSTRUCTIONS

1. Create an image
On a poster board, first draw a large
base image in pencil, such as a big
peace sign, a strong tree, or a large
skull. This image can be anything you
like. Make sure to draw it nice and big!
2. Find your fill
Choose a stencil small enough to fit
easily inside the shapes of your design.
The idea is to fill in the design with a
repeating stencil image.
3. Color in the lines
Place your stencil within your drawing.

Dab the stencil brush on the ink pad and

color in your first stencil. (You can also
use markers, Stencil1 Sprayers, or
acrylics to fill it in.)
When it is filled, shift the stencil to
another open area and continue until you
have completely filled in your big
image. You can overlap your stencil
images, leaving white space where you
want it, and creating color where you
want it. Repeat until the entire design is
filled.
4. Admire
Back up and check out the poster print
you made.

PROJECT 14 Give Me Your

Leather
Customize your own leather fashion
accessory.
FeATURED ARTIST

ERICA
DOMESEK
(P.S.I MADE THIS)

Fashion Week and DIY are two

phrases that usually

dont get combined
until Erica Domesek
of P.S.I Made This
starts talking. Erica
is a fashionista and a
crafty DIY gal all in
one. A few years ago, Erica contacted
me about providing Stencil1 stencils
for a Sharpie event inside the tents at
New York Fashion Week. I loved her
work immediately. I recently attended
another event for which Erica made
leather accessories from Helmut Lang
materials. The girl is unstoppable.
Ericas motto is I see it. I like it. I
make it. She shows people how cool

and fashionable crafting can be, and,

for this, I am a huge fanand it was
a no-brainer to make her a part of this
leather-painting tutorial. Be sure to
check out Ericas new book P.S.I
Made This: I See It. I Like It. I Make
It. and visit Psimadethis.com.
MATERIALS
Leather material or apparel or
accessory
Rubber gloves
Cotton ball or small rag
Rubbing alcohol or acetone
Sandpaper
Water-based acrylics or

specialty leather paint (such as

Flashe brand)
Paintbrush
Stencil
stencil brush, foam brush, or
pouncer foam brush
Fabric glue
NOTE: Erica stenciled leather material
and made what she coined a Stencil
Statement Necklace, but you can apply
this technique to a headband, a jacket, or
just about any leather item.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Prepare the leather

First, clean the leather surface area you

will be painting with a slightly damp
cloth and mild, soapy water.
2. Take off the shine
Some leather, especially if brand-new,
is waxy or shiny. This oil prevents paint
from adhering to the surface and must be
removed. Wearing rubber gloves, wipe
the areas with a cotton ball or small rag
dipped in rubbing alcohol to remove this
wax and oil. Acetone is another option.
Then lightly sand the area with
sandpaper. This makes the leather more
porous so the paint will adhere and
gives the leather a slightly distressed
look.

3. Paint a prep layer

Before stenciling your design on the
leather, you need to paint the area with a
prep layer. Mix one part water with one
part acrylic or specialty paint and brush
the leathers surface using a paintbrush.
You can match the color of this layer to
the leathers color if youd like. Apply
two coats and let dry just until damp.
4. Stenciling time
Lay your leather surface area flat and
place the stencil where you want your
design to appear. Using water-based
acrylics or specialty leather paint, load a

very small amount of paint onto your

brush, and dab some off on a paper
towel. Now, in an up-and-down motion,
paint in the open areas of the stencil. Lift
your stencil, and once the design dries,
carefully flex the leather. Wipe your
stencil clean of paint. Realign it in the
same place as last time and apply
another layer. Applying additional
layers is up to you. Let it dry.
Erica stenciled one of my patterns onto
one piece of leather, cut out the shapes
making up the pattern and glued them to
another backing piece of leather with
fabric glue. I like her Wabi-Sabi or not
perfect approach, organic and
unexpected. She poked two eye holes in

the leather backing and attached some

black ribbon to create the necklace.
5. Reveal
Wear your new leather Stencil Statement
Necklace like the fashionista you are.

PROJECT 15 Make an
Impression
Emboss a paper card with stencils.
OVERVIEW
Minimalists, rejoice! This how-to
involves no inks or paints. Dry
embossing, or relief embossing, is done
by tracing a stencil with a special tool
called a stylus. The result is a simple,
yet stunning, raised design on the

material you are embossing. Youll want

to make these over and over.
MATERIALS
Stencil
Light source (window, light
box, etc.)
Blue painters tape
Wax paper
Thick card stock or blank cards
Embossing tool (stylus)
Inks, glitter, acrylics, or stamps
(for embellishment)*
*optional

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Prep the stencil
Place the stencil on a lighted surface
(window, light box, etc.) in the desired
position and tape it in place. The side of
the stencil you want facing up should be
the reverse of what you want to appear
as the finished design. This is especially
important with letter stencils.
2. Prep the paper
Crumple up a piece of wax paper and
rub it back and forth over the surface of
the card to give the card a light waxy
coating. This allows the stylus tool to

run smoothly over the paper. Now,

position your card stock over the stencil,
waxed side up. With a bright light
source, the stencil will clearly show
through the paper.
TIP: You are working on the reverse
side of the card. Once the paper is
positioned where you want it, carefully
tape the paper corners with blue
painters tape. You may want to test your
tape first to make sure it wont damage
your paper. Card stock will work best.
3. Emboss your heart out
Using the embossing tool, press the
paper firmly into the stencil along the

inside edges. If your stylus has a

different size on each end, choose the
size that best fits the size of the design.
Press firmly, but be careful not to rip the
paper. No need to rub the tool over the
center of the design. Check your
progress; if you dont see the embossing,
go over the stencil edges again with the
tool. Remember: Once you depress the
edge of the paper, it is permanently
embossed.
4. Reveal your genius
Lift the card off the stencil, turn it over,
and admire the beautiful, raised
embossing. Its just that easy. Need more
flash? Embellish your embossed card

with inks, glitter, acrylics, or stamps

whatever suits your taste and style.

PROJECT 16 Signed,
Sealed,
Delivered
Stencil a balsa wood postcard to tell
someone you *heart* them.

OVERVIEW
Snail mail is an attention-getter by its
sheer rarity. A balsa wood postcard is
even more unexpectedan eye-popping
bit of correspondence that will really

stand out. A wooden postcard feels more

like a piece of art than a simple vacation
Wish You Were Here, something the
lucky recipient will cherish.
MATERIALS
Balsa wood planks
Straight edge
Utility knife
Sandpaper
Newspaper to control overspray
Stencil
Stencil1 Sprayers
Blue painters tape
Acrylic paints or ink pads
Stencil brush

Spray- or brush-on varnish or

polyurethane sealer
Paint pens or permanent
markers
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Select and prep the balsa
You can purchase strips of balsa wood
at craft and art supply stores. Look for
sustainably harvested wood in 4-in/10cm-wide strips that are 1/32 to 3/32
in/.794 to 2.38 mm thick. You want the
balsa to be light enough to mail but
sturdy enough to not snap. All strips look
different, so choose a grain you like

best. The strips are usually 24 in/61 cm

long and, once cut, will give you enough
wood for about four 4-x-6-in/10-x-15cm postcards. Regardless, you want to
end up with a postcard-size piece of
wood. Measure the size you want, draw
a line, and carefully cut along that line
using a straightedge and a utility knife.
Sand any rough edges. You have a balsa
wood postcard ready to paint.
2. Prep your work surface
Lay newspaper on a flat surface and
your blank wood card on the paper.
3. Prep your postcard

Before stenciling, I sprayed my wood

postcards with Stencil1 Sprayers to add
some color and texture.
4. Position the stencil
Place the stencil where youd like the
design to appear on the wood, and
secure it lightly in place with blue
painters tape.
5. Paint and paint some more
Using the stencil brush with acrylics or
specialty ink pads, paint lightly in the
open areas with an up-and-down motion.
Some balsa is absorbent, and paint may
bleed, so, again, go lightly. If you are

using ink pads, check if the ink needs to

be heat sealed. If so, follow the
manufacturers instructions for wood.
Let the design dry for several hours. If
you are using a two-layer stencil, apply
layer two once layer one is dry. I always
recommend that you use a lighter color
for layer one than layer two.
6. Lock in freshness
Once everything is dry, seal your design.
In a well-ventilated area, cover your
design lightly with spray- or brush-on
varnish. The wood will become slightly
shinier and darker, giving it a more
finished look. Allow the varnish to dry
completely.

7. Seal with a kiss

Turn the card over. With paint pens or
permanent markers, draw a centerline to
divide the message and address area,
and write your message. Stamp it and
send that art to someone whom you want
to impress. The postage stamp just adds
to the look.

PROJECT 17 Contain
Yourself
Turn a simple cookie tin into a work
of art.
OVERVIEW
Last winter, my friend Terry and her
friend Wendy used my holiday stencils
(available at www.stencil1.com) to
decorate cookie tins filled with their
homemade goodies. Their creativity

inspired me to share this tutorial with

you.
Lets face itpeople love getting
homemade cookies as a gift (and its an
economical way to spread the love too).
You can really up the wow factor by
adding a little artwork to that plain
cookie tin. The recipient of your
generosity will be blown away
especially if you fill them with stenciled
cookies (see Project 9). Cookie tins are
not just for holidays either. A tin with a
nice design can be reused for food
storage all year round.
MATERIALS

Newspaper
Blank cookie tin
Stencil
Blue painters tape
Stencil brush
Acrylic paint
Spray paint*
Scrap or wax paper to control
overspray (if spray painting)*
Spray acrylic sealant
*optional
NOTES: Tins can be purchased at
storage or specialty baking shops. They
come in silver, gold, black, and a variety
of solid colors. I normally recommend

enamel paint for painting with metal, but

Terry and Wendy found acrylics to be
easier to work with. Use whichever
paint works best for you. Just remember,
acrylics must be sealed with an acrylic
topcoat spray so the design doesnt wear
away.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Prep your work space
To start, prep your work surface with
newspaper. Lay the lid of the cookie tin
flat on the paper with the top facing up.
2. Position the stencil

Place your stencil where youd like your

design to appear, and secure the corners
of the stencil with small pieces of
painters tape.
3a. Paint itacrylic
Using a stencil brush, dip your brush in
the acrylic paint. Wipe off most of the
paint on a paper towel, and then fill in
the open design areas of the stencil.
Since metal is not an absorbent material,
you will most likely see the brush marks.
If you do not like that textural look, let
the area dry and repeat the process by
adding a second layer of paint.
3b. Paint itspray enamel

If using spray paint rather than a brush,

mask the outside areas around your
stencil to avoid overspray. Cover the
areas outside the stencil with scrap or
wax paper and tape it down. Lightly
spray the paint into the open areas. Lift
the stencil carefully when you are
satisfied with your painting.
4. Set it
Once your design is dry, seal it with
acrylic sealant. In a well-ventilated
area, spray acrylic sealant evenly over
the entire lid. Let dry.
5. Give to get

Fill the tin with cookies and give your

creation to a deserving friend, or be the
bees knees at a cookie swap. You will
get all kinds of love.

PROJECT 18 Needle &

Thread
Create amazing embroidery art with
stencils.

FEATURED ARTIST

JENNY HART
(SUBLIME STITCHING)

Jenny Hart, the

founder of Sublime
Stitching, is simply
the queen of modern
embroidery. Her
creations define
sublime: vast, magnificent,
incomparable, and inimitable. Plus
anyone who embroiders a portrait of
Dolly Parton is queen in my book! Her
work puts a fun, refreshing twist on a
traditional art form, and has caught
the attention and respect of everyone
in the art and indie craft world,
including me.
In addition to her product line
(available at

www.sublimestitching.com), Jennys
books Sublime Stitching and
Embroidered Effects are the toast of
Chronicle Books craft division, so I
was beyond thrilled when Jenny
agreed to be a part of this book. (We
are members of the same publishing
family after all.) A stitched stencil
design is such a fresh new way to
think of using the stencilsI know
youll want to give it a try too. Thanks,
Jenny!
MATERIALS
Fabric
Stencil

Blue painters tape*

Pencil or washable ink fabric
pen
Embroidery hoop*
T-shirt stabilizer*
Embroidery floss or thread
Needle (sharp, medium-sized)
Small, sharp scissors
*optional
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Prep the fabric
Lay your fabric over a hard, smooth
surface. Then, place the stencil over the

area of fabric that you want to stitch.

Leave enough room for the edge of your
embroidery hoop, if youll be using one.
2. Place and trace the stencil
After positioning the stencil, secure it in
place (tape or weight it down). Follow
the lines of the stencil with a pencil or
washable fabric ink pen. (If youre
stenciling on a dark fabric, you can use
sharpened chalk or a white pencil
instead.) Remove the stencil and behold
the pattern you can now work in
embroidery stitches.
3. Get ready to stitch

Place your fabric on an embroidery hoop

around the design, and you are ready to
embroider. If youre stenciling on a Tshirt, you will probably want to use Tshirt stabilizer, which makes stitching on
spongy fabrics easier (available at
www.sublimestitching.com/stabilizer.html
4. Thread the needle
Cut a length of embroidery floss or
thread 12 to 13 in/30.5 to 33 cm long
(the length from your forefinger to your
elbow). Thread the needle and make a
knot at the tail end so the floss wont
pull through the fabric, and leave a long
tail (no need to make a knot at the needle
end; just pull it through enough so it

wont slip through the eye while youre

working).
5. Stitch that stencil (design)
The goal is to outline the stencil design
with embroidery stitches. To start
embroidering, bring your needle up from
under the fabric along a chosen starting
point in the designwhat seems like the
beginning. Bring the needle back
down through the front of the fabric
about 1/4 in/6 mm from where you came
up. Youve made a stitch! A little less
than 1/4 in/6 mm is a good length for your
stitches.

6. Do the back stitch

To continue along the line of the design
in a back stitch, bring your needle up
along the pattern line, but a space ahead
of the end of your last stitch. Now, insert
your needle through the front of the
fabric in the same exit point (going
back) as the end of your last stitch.
Pull through, and close the gap. Repeat.
Continue along the line of the design,
until you hit the knot or reach the tail end
(holding the tail in place).
7. Jump-skip
You can tie off before going to a new

section to be a bit neater about it, or

make a jump stitch by skipping to the
new section along the underside of the
fabric. Jump stitches are to be avoided if
theyll show through the front of your
fabric, or if theyre too long.
8. Rethread, repeat
When you come to the end of a strand of
floss, you can tie it off just by making a
plain old knot (which is what I do all the
time), or weaving the remaining floss
(the tail) along the underside of the
stitches. Cut a new length of floss,
rethread that needle, and keep going.
Repeat until you have covered the
stencil line with stitches.

9. Take it further
If you are a more advanced embroiderer,
play around with different outline and
fill-in stitches. Or try combining paint
and stitch techniques: Follow the painted
T-shirt project instructions, and then
outline the heat-sealed design with
stitching for an awesome, 3-D effect.

PROJECT 19 A Hairy
Situation
Cut a stenciled design into hair!
FEATURED ARTIST

ELIATH
PINEDA
(ASTOR PLACE
HAIRSTYLIST)
Hairstylist Eliath

Pineda works at one of New York

Citys oldest and most iconic barber
shops, Astor Place Hairstylist. This
place is an institutiona melting pot
of New York City characters
containing eye candy at its finestbboys, business men, women in huge
hot rollers, old-school barber posters,
customized hair stations with total
DIY signage, and a wall of fame not to
be missed.
Eliath is a true artist. He cuts
intricate designs into hair, and
sometimes uses stencils to do so.
When I provided him with some of my
stencil designs to do his thing, heres
how he did it. You can also check out

his Web site, www.eliath.com, to see

all his amazing designs and a video of
Eliath in action.
MATERIALS
Stencil
White Halloween hair color
spray
Clippers
Straight razor
Hair-cutting experience
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Cut it short

The hair must be cut short: 1/4 to 1/2 in/6

to 12 mm long. The length of hair left on
the head is your base layer.
2. Choose the design
Choose a stencil without too much
detail. Hold the stencil to the head in the
area you want the design to appear.
Make sure it wraps snugly to the head.
3. Spray to play
Carefully spray the color spray into the
stencil design area. Lift the stencil and
the design should be painted on the
hair. This painted design is the template

you will be using.

4. Decisions, decisions
You have the choice to remove the hair
that is colored in or shave away the hair
that is around the colored hair, so the
design is either made of skin or made of
hair. We are leaving the colored-in area
and removing the rest, for what Eliath
calls the tattooed look.
5. Buzz
Using the clippers, carefully remove the
natural-colored hair in and around your
design. You can shave away about a 1/2in/12-mm border to outline the design.

You can then use a straight razor to finetune the design and remove more hair.
6. Take it to a pro
If you dont have these skills, I suggest
just bringing the stencil to your barber. If
you are in NYC, bring it to Eliath at
Astor and tell him Ed sent ya.

PROJECT 20 Au Naturel
Stencil on grass cloth to make
beautiful placemats.
FEATURED ARTISTS

LAUREN
SMITH &
DEREK
FAGERSTROM
(THE CURIOSITY SHOPPE)

Last year, I had a card-making event

at The Curiosity Shoppe in San
Francisco, where I had the pleasure of
meeting the owners Lauren Smith and
Derek Fagerstrom. They are super
sweet people and stellar designers.
They are also the authors of
Wallpaper Projects, a gorgeous book
that features more than fifty design
ideas for using wallpaper for home
dcor. They are a natural fit for this
grass cloth how-to.
Grass cloth is a natural woven wall
covering made of, you guessed it, grass
and other fibers. It is sold in rolls like
wallpaper and is a great way to add
texture to your decor. Cover an entire

accent wall or use it as a table runner

or placemats for a green-theme dinner
party. There are so many things you
can do with grass cloth. Heres how to
stencil a set of placemats.
MATERIALS
Grass cloth
Ruler or straightedge
Cutting mat
Utility knife or box cutter
Stencil
Blue painters tape
Fabric paint or specialty ink
pad
Stencil brush

Markers*
*optional
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Prep
Unroll your grass cloth on a flat surface
and using your ruler or straightedge,
measure the grass cloth and mark it with
a pencil for the size you want. A
placemat is about 12 x 18 in/30.5 x 46
cm.
2. Cut it out
On the cutting mat, use your utility knife

and a straightedge to cut the piece of

grass cloth. Repeat until you have
enough placemats for your dinner party.
Cut a few extras for practice.
TIP: Not crazy about rectangles? If you
are skilled with the utility knife, you can
make your placemats any shape you want
round, curvy edges, whatever you
like. If your cut grass cloth is curling up
after its cut, leave it under a heavy book
for a day or just deal with it.
3. Find your position
Place one placemat on a flat surface
with textured grass cloth face up. Place a
stencil on the grass cloth where youd

like your design to appear and tape it in

place with a few pieces of painters
tape. Keep in mind where the plate will
be so your guests can see the design.
4. Color it in
Now its time to stencil. I prefer using
ink pads on grass cloth since they dont
bleed much, but acrylics or even
markers will work great. Be sure to use
an ink pad that does not need heat
sealing. Dab the stencil brush onto the
ink pad, and then stencil in an up-anddown motion to fill in your design.
(Derek and Lauren had great success
with white fabric paint. Just go light
with the paint as the grass cloth is

absorbent.) If using markers, just color

in the open areas of the stencil. Once
satisfied, lift the stencil to reveal your
design.
5. Repeat
Do another! You can do each placemat
the same or do several different designs
for an eclectic party.

PROJECT 21 Cut & Paste

Create Swoon-inspired artwork on a

wood panel.
OVERVIEW
It is very difficult to write about an artist
whom you basically worship. Swoon is
a street artist represented by the Deitch
Projects in New York City, and her
work is incredible. I have seen Swoons
life-size figurative prints pasted all over
Brooklyn and the Lower East Side for
years. Her work inspires me, not only
for her impeccable technique and
original style, but also for her
involvement in world causes and
charities. Currently, she is building

structures in Haiti for homeless victims

of the earthquake. For more information,
go to www.konbitshelter.org; for more
about Swoon, buy her new book, Swoon,
published by Abrams Books.
Swoon is a multifaceted artist, making
prints, paintings, sculptures, and
architectural structures. One of her
techniques involves stenciling on tracing
paper, cutting out parts of it, and then
applying the image to a wood surface
with paste. Swoon uses wheat paste to
put her art onto city walls, but for our
purposes, a wood panel will do nicely.
MATERIALS

Tracing paper or lightweight

paper
Pencil
Stencils
Cutting board
Utility knife
Stencils1 Sprayers or spray
paint*
Scissors
Paint brush*
Paint or wood stain*
Wood panel
Wheat paste or decoupage
paste (such as Mod Podge)
Brayer*
*optional

NOTE: If you made your own stencil

from a picture of a face, you can use that
design for this tutorial, or if you want to
be more like Swoon, create a stencil of a
local hero. You can also use the twolayer stencils in this book. Ill show you
a few ways to do this.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Trace
On tracing paper or lightweight paper,
trace both layers of a two-layer stencil
with a pencil: first the silhouette layer,
then the detailed layer over the top of the
first layer.

2. Cut
Important: You will cut out the silhouette
image last. Place the paper with the
images you traced onto a cutting board.
Carefully cut out the shapes of the
detailed stencil with your utility knife.
Then cut out the silhouette of your image.
I used the stencil of my mom. You can
add additional cuts to create more
definition if neededits as if you are
drawing with your knife. I added outline
to the face, waves to the hair, etc
A simpler option is to paint a two-layer
stencil with Stencil1 Sprayers or even
spray paint on your paper. I did this with
the bear stencil as shown. If you painted

a two-layer stencil, cut out the shape of

the silhouette after the paint is dry.
3. Snip
With additional sheets of tracing paper
or lightweight paper, stencil and cut out
complementary patterns or make
snowflakes like you did in grade school.
These will be used to embellish your
main design. I used a rose shape to
surround my moms portrait, as roses
were her favorite.
4. Prep
Stain or paint the wood panel as you
like. Use a darker color. Stain the wood,

paint it, or spray paint a dripping circle

whatever you like. Let it dry. Or you
may prefer to just leave it plain.
5. Paste
Time to paste your paper cutouts to the
board. Use wheat paste or decoupage
medium to apply your stencil cutouts to
the wood. Follow the instructions at
right to make your own wheat paste; its
an economical and old-school way to get
your art out there. Mod Podge is the
most famous brand of decoupage
medium, but many artists like Royal
Coat better, especially if the item will
be exposed to humidity.

First, cover the surface where you will

place the paper image with an even coat
of adhesive. Then lay your image on top
of the adhesive and push it flat with your
fingers. You can also use a brayer, a
hand roller used in printmaking. Repeat
this step with all your paper cutouts until
you are satisfied with your composition.
6. Wait
Let the adhesive dry completely.
7. Seal
Apply an even coat of the paste over
your entire piece. Add more coats for
the desired results.

8. Admire
Hang up your picture and thank Swoon
for the inspiration!
DIY WHEAT PASTE
Wheat paste is the glue of the people.
Wheat paste has been used for centuries
to plaster art, concert- and playbills, and
political posters on city walls to get
information and ideas to the people
quickly and on the cheap. All you need
are a few kitchen items and youre ready
to take your art to the streets!
INGREDIENTS

2 cups/474 ml water
3 tablespoons wheat flour
1 tablespoon sugar
Makes about 2 cups/450 g wheat paste.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Bring 1 cup water to a boil.
2. In a bowl, mix the flour with 1 cup
water or just enough water to make a
thin solution.
3. Slowly add the flour/water solution to
the boiling water, stirring constantly.

Bring to a boil again and keep stirring

for 2 minutes until the paste starts to
thicken.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the
sugar.
5. Allow to cool, and then transfer to a
lidded container that is easily
transportable. Spread your art around!

PROJECT 22 Screen Test

Layer lace or a window screen over a
bold stencil pattern to create a
textured painting.
OVERVIEW
Using this layering effect technique will
add texture to your design and give a
new meaning to the overall look.
Screens can produce a pixilated look,
and lace provides a more delicate touch.
This project can be done on a canvas to

create a stunning work of art, on a Tshirt, or right on the wallits up to

you. Try it out! In our example, I cut a
bold numeric stencil by hand.
MATERIALS
Stencil
T-shirt or canvas
Cardboard box or sheet
Newspaper to control overspray
Radiator screen, lace fabric, or
window screens
Spray paint, fabric spray paint,
or Stencil1 Sprayers
INSTRUCTIONS

1. Get set
Choose a stencil with a large open
design such as a bold pattern or a
standout graphic. I custom cut a large
numeric stencil for this project. If
stenciling a T-shirt, stretch the shirt over
a shipping box to fit. Lay out newspaper
on a table or other flat work space, and
place your canvas or T-shirt on the
newspaper.
2. Take your position
Position the stencil where you want it on
the surface you are paintingin this
case, on the shirt. You may choose to

stencil a layer using just the stencil here,

then layer the screen for the second layer
as I did. I used Stencil1 Sprayers to first
mist a light layer to show my number
13 clearly. Next, place the screen or
lace over the stencil. Make sure your
over-layer, in this case the radiator
screen, is larger than your stencil.
3. Spray away
Lightly spray through the lace or screen
into the open areas of the stencil. I used
purple for the pattern fill. Once youve
filled all the open areas, lift the stencil
and screen together.
4. Pause, play

Let the paint dry. If you made a shirt as I

did, let it dry and heat seal inside out
with an iron.
If you made a painting, then add to your
painting with brush strokes, writing, and
collage, or anything you wishyoure
the artist!
5. Display
Wear your shirt. If you made a painting,
hang it on your wall, and marvel at your
creativity.

PROJECT 23 The Royal

Treatment
Use stencils to emboss with gold leaf.
OVERVIEW
Gold leafing, or gilding, goes back
centuries and creates an eye-popping
and elegant decorative effect. Gold leaf
is made from real gold that is pounded
flat into very thin sheets; it is then
overlaid on furniture, architectural

elements (like decorative molding and

mantels), and home accessories (like
music boxes and photo frames). So if
you are ready to learn how to apply this
royal treatment around your home, heres
how.
MATERIALS
Stencil
Blue painters tape
Gold leaf kit that contains thin
sheets of gold leaf and gold
leaf adhesive
Stencil brushes
Heat gun*
Soap or methylated spirits, for
cleaning*

Black painting panel

*optional
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place
Position the stencil and secure it to your
surface with blue painters tape.
2. Paint
Painting with glue is similar to using
paint to stencil, but you will instead be
using the gold leaf adhesive. Just like
with paint, the key is to not use too much
liquid in order to avoid drips and

produce a clean design. Dip a stencil

brush in the adhesive, wipe a bit off on a
paper towel, and carefully stencil in the
open areas of the design with this glue.
Once complete, lift the stencil.
3. Get tacky
Allow the glue to air-dry to a tacky
touch, or dry it slightly with a heat gun.
Move the gun around rapidly to prevent
the glue from bubbling or running.
4. Gild
Place a sheet of the gold leaf over the
stenciled area, and press it into position
until the leaf adheres to the glue. Lift

away the paper backing.

5. Sweep
Remove excess gold leaf with a clean,
dry stencil brush; its real gold, so save
it for other projects. If you missed areas
of the design, reposition your gold leaf
sheet over the glue and adhere it again.
6. Clean
Clean the stencil and brush with warm
water and soap or methylated spirits
(denatured alcohol).
7. Display

Place your gilded object in a place of

honor.

PROJECT 24 Screen Star!

Silk-screen a shirt or poster using
stencils.

OVERVIEW
Silk screening is an art similar to
stenciling: A design template allows you
to create multiple prints from just one
screen. In this tutorial, Ill show you
how to combine the two techniques by
using a stencil with the screen to make
prints. Whats nice about this method is
that you wont have to go through the
process of burning a design into the
screen. So squeegee monkeys rejoice!
Heres how to do it.
MATERIALS
Stencil

Silk screen (larger than your

stencil)
Blue painters tape or duct
tape
T-shirt or poster paper
Cardboard box or sheet*
Silk screen ink
Squeegee
*optional
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Prep the screen
First, tape the stencil to the center of
your screen on the outside. This is the
side of the screen that is flush with the

wood frame the screen is mounted on.

Tape around the borders of the stencil
and all surrounding areas until the tape
covers the screen completely. This is to
block paint from going through the
screen anywhere except your stencil
area.
2. Prep your shirt
Lay your T-shirt or poster paper on a flat
surface. If you are printing a shirt, prep
it by stretching it over a shipping box.
3. Position the screen
Place the screen on your surface, stencilside down, so that the inside of the

screen is facing up. Position the screen

where you want the design to appear.
4. Prep the paint
Spoon some ink on the screen above
your design, maybe 2 or 3 teaspoons, in
a long row the width of the stencil.
5. Squeegee away!
Using a squeegee the width of the stencil
design, lightly drag the ink across the
entire stencil to coat the design area.
Now, lift the squeegee and go in the
same direction you just did, but press
firmly to drag the paint over the entire
design.

6. Lift and separate

Lift the squeegee and set it aside. Lift the
screen with stencil to reveal the print.
7. Rinse, repeat
Make sure the outsides of the stencil and
screen are clean of paint and do another!

PROJECT 25 Print Junkie

Become a textile designer or just look
like one.
OVERVIEW
Textile design is my dream job. Just as
with stencil design, textile design is a
collaboration: One designer makes the
fabric design and another designer
creates something with the fabric. Now
you too can be a textile designer, and Ill
show you how to make your own

patterned fabric to use for upholstery,

drapes, or clothing.
MATERIALS
Fabric paint or Stencil1
Sprayers
Cup or bowl
Stencil
Blue painters tape
Scrap paper to control
overspray (if spray painting)*
Stencil brush*
Roll of fabric of your choice
Garment pencil
Ruler
Iron

*optional
NOTE: I used a soft cotton canvas for
my fabric.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Test first
Pour fabric paint or spray ink into a cup
or bowl. Cut a piece of test fabric. All
fabric has different absorbency levels,
so you have to see how the ink performs
on the fabric you chose. Place the stencil
on the fabric and, using a large stencil
brush, dip the brush in the ink, dry a lot
of it off on a paper towel, then apply the
ink inside the open areas of the stencil in

a pouncing motion. If you prefer to use

the spraying method, mask around the
outside areas of the stencil with scrap
paper and tape to prevent spray paint
from getting under the paper. Lift your
stencil and see how you did. If the ink
bled into the fabric, you need to use less
ink or paint. If all is well, time to move
on to the real deal.
2. Prep
Lay out your fabric on a large flat
surface. Be sure you have enough space
to work.
3. Plan

Plan your design. Figure out the

repeating pattern youd like to create.
Make a grid on the material using a
garment pencil and a ruler. This will
mark the placement of the stencil for
each row. Here are some ideas: You can
have one stencil image repeat over and
over, or alternate two or three designs
(bunny, tree, bunny, tree, etc.). You can
also switch between colors (turquoise,
red, turquoise, red, etc.). Go crazy. Its
up to you and your imagination.
4. Paint
Place your stencil in the first space on
your grid (I start with the top left
square). If youre using Stencil1

Sprayers, mask the outer areas with

scrap paper to avoid overspray. Paint in
the open stencil areas as you did in the
test piece (Step 1). Sprayers should be
held 8 in/20 cm or so from the stencil.
When youre satisfied, lift the stencil
carefully to avoid dripping. If any ink
seeped to the back of the stencil, wipe it
clean to avoid smudging.
Now, move to another place on your
grid. Do this until the entire fabric is
filled. Be careful to not smudge the area
you just completed if you move to the
very next space on the grid, especially if
the stencil overlaps what you just
painted. To avoid this, you can just jump
around the grid.

5. Press
Let the paint/ink dry. Then heat seal the
design with an iron. Set the iron on high
with no steam, and press 1 to 2 minutes
in each painted area.
6. Create
You can use your printed fabric to create
upholstered furniture, pillows, even
clothing. Its all up to you! If you used
drapes like I did, hang them up and
watch the sun light up your work!

RESOURCES
INSPIRATION
www.apartmenttherapy.com
www.diynetwork.com
www.flickr.com (search for stencil
art)
www.readymade.com
www.selvedge.org
STENCILS

This book!
Stencil 101
Stencil 101 Decor
www.stencil1.com
Make your own!
ART SUPPLY STORES
Always support your local mom-andpop art supply stores! Then there are the
big boys:
A.C. Moore
Blick Art Materials

Flax Art & Design

Michaels
Pearl Paint
Sam Flax
Utrecht
BOOKS
STENCIL GRAFFITI
Bansky. Wall and Piece. London:
Random House UK, 2007.
Cooper, Martha, and Henry Chalfant.
Subway Art: 25th Anniversary
Edition. San Francisco: Chronicle
Books, 2009.
Fairey, Shepard. Obey: Supply &
Demand: The Art of Shepard

Fairey. 20th anniversary ed.

Berkeley, CA: Gingko Press, 2009.
Ganz, Nicholas. Graffiti World: Street
Art from Five Continents. 2nd ed.
New York: Abrams, 2009.
Longhi, Samantha. Stencil History X.,
c215, 2007.
MacPhee, Josh. Stencil Pirates.
Berkeley, CA: Soft Skull Press,
2004.
Manco, Tristan. Stencil Graffiti. New
York: Thames & Hudson, 2002.
Smallman, Jake, and Carl Nyman.
Stencil Graffiti Capital:
Melbourne. New York: Mark Batty
Publisher, 2005.
HOW-TO AND INSPIRING

ARTISTRY
Domesk, Erica. P.S.I Made This
New York: Abrams, 2010.
Fagerstrom, Derek, and Lauren Smith.
Wallpaper Projects: 50 Craft and
Design Ideas for Your Home, from
Accents to Art. San Francisco:
Chronicle Books, 2009.
Hart, Jenny. Embroidered Effects:
Projects and Patterns to Inspire
Your Stitching. San Francisco:
Chronicle Books, 2009.
Howell, Vickie. Craft Corps. Asheville,
NC: Lark Books, 2010.
Hughes, Ann dArcy, and Hebe VernonMorris. The Printmaking Bible:
The Complete Guide to Materials
and Techniques. San Francisco:

Chronicle Books, 2008.

Innes, Jocasta. Paint Magic. 2nd ed.
New York: Pantheon, 1989.
Moyle, Sabrina, and Eunice Moyle.
Handmade Hellos: Fresh Greeting
Card Projects from First-Rate
Crafters. San Francisco: Chronicle
Books, 2008.
Peot, Margaret. Make Your Mark:
Explore Your Creativity and
Discover Your Inner Artist. San
Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2004.
Riva, Lesley, and Benjamin Moore
Paints. Paint Style: The New
Approach to Decorative Paint
Finishes. Buffalo, NY: Firefly
Books, 2008.

Terry, Kayte. Appliqu Your Way. San

Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2009.
T-SHIRTS
Alternative Apparel (great vintage-style
T-shirts and variety of cuts)
American Apparel (a wide variety of
cuts, fabrics, and colors)
SPECIALTY PAPERS
www.clearbags.com
www.eclecticpaperie.com
www.katespaperie.com

www.twopeasinabucket.com
Office supply stores
REUSE! Collect old magazines,
newspapers, cardboard, etc.
WEB SITES
www.stencil1.com (See our designs in a
variety of sizes, plus our full
product line. View stenciled items
in our gallery, watch our video
tutorials, and send in your Stencil1
project images.)
www.graffiti.org (Art Crimes is a
gallery of graffiti art from the
United States, Europe, and cities

around the world.)

www.woostercollective.com (The
Wooster Collective was founded in
2001. This site is dedicated to
showcasing and celebrating
ephemeral art placed on streets in
cities around the world.)
www.youtube.com (Search YouTube for
lots of great how-to stencil
videos.)
BLOGS
www.ashleyrosehelvey.blogspot.com
www.apartmenttherapy.com
www.blog.makezine.com

www.coolhunting.com
www.craftcritique.com
www.craftgossip.com
www.craftypod.com
www.designspongeonline.com
www.justsomethingimade.blogspot.com
www.stencil1.com/news
www.stencilhistoryx.com
www.threadbanger.com
www.unnecessaryumlaut.com

ACKNOWLEDGM
I want to thank my family, my friends
(who are like family to me), my dog
Larry for being my higher power these
days, the creative community that
surrounds me and inspires me, and
especially all the guest artists for
helping me perpetuate the art of
stenciling. Also, as always, a huge thank
you to the Chronicle Books family for
believing in me and making business a
pleasure. And finally you, you bought the
book, you have supported my art, you get
the biggest thanks (unless youre just
reading this at the bookstore)! I hope the
Stencil1 inspires you!

PHOTO
CREDITS
PORTRAIT PHOTOS
OMFG Co. by Patrick Richardson
Wright
Elaine Elwick Barr by Jenny Elwick
Christian Sumner by Greg Endries
Susan Rivas by Derrick Leung
Vickie Howell by Jody Horton
Erica Domesek by Christopher Nelson
Jenny Hart by Kenneth B. Gall
Eliath Pineda by Eliath Pineda
Lauren Smith & Derek Fagerstrom by
Jennifer OKeeffe

PROJECT PHOTOS
Project 7: Shrinky Dink photos by Jenny
Elwick
Project 9: Cookies photos by Christian
Sumner
Project 11: Model cutout photos by
Derrick Leung and Andrea Medici,
Derrick-leung.blogspot.com; Ad
campaign for Miss Lonelyhearts,
www.jennywashere.com
Project 17: Cookie containers by Eric
McNatt
Project 19: Haircut by Eliath Pineda and
Miguel Lora
Model name: John Miricapillo aka
pillowz
Project 20: Grasscloth photos by Lauren

Smith
Project 21: Swoon imagery from Swoon
published by Abrams and taken by
Caledonia Curry
All other photos taken by Ed Roth.

Copyright 2011 by Ed Roth.

Illustrations copyright 2011 by Ed
Roth.
All rights reserved. No part of this book
may be reproduced in any form without
written permission from the publisher.
Stencils may not be used to create items
for resale.
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2025-6
Designed by TO/GO/TK
Chronicle Books LLC
680 Second Street

San Francisco, California 94107

www.chroniclebooks.com