Stencil Tutorial Part 1 - Making the Stencil

 I apologize for taking so long, but here is the first part of my stencil tutorial.

What you'll need:
Adhesive Sticker Paper (Available at most office supply store or online)
A razor knife or any other good sharp knife you might have
A piece of cardboard to avoid marring any table tops, etc. when cutting

First off, you'll want to find a design you want to use for your stencil. I've found the easiest way to do this is to look for silhouettes. The simpler the design, the easier it is to make a stencil. I picked this set:

Image Credit: Istockphoto

I used paint to isolate the shooting stars on the left middle of the image by coloring over the other designs with white.

Next you'll want to print the design on adhesive paper. Make sure that you print your design in a small size such as one inch, two inch, etc. so that it's not to big to use. The one I use here is about two inches by two inches. I've also printed a few designs so I'm not wasting paper.

Now you'll want to put your design over a piece of cardboard and cut it out carefully with a sharp knife. It's easier to cut from the outside lines towards the center to keep from tearing the paper. 

Now that you have all of the designs cut out, trim the sticker paper to fit the area that you're going to be using it on (ie. your eyes, cheek, etc.)

Your completed stencil should look similar to this. Now you're ready to use it! Here's some more advice:

*If you want to use the same design on both sides of your face, be sure that you flip/mirror the image so that you have opposites. 

*Larger designs are easier to cut out. If you have trouble try using those kind first to get some practice.

*It's best to use a razor knife or Xacto knife to cut the design & be sure that you protect the surfaces that you're cutting on.

Still having a hard time? I've been thinking about adding stencils to my shop. Comment on the blog and tell me what you think! I'd love to hear it.

I'll be adding a tutorial on how to use the stencil you've made soon. I thought it would be best to do this in two parts. Thanks for reading!