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Health and Beauty

Getting started with stencilling

Stencilling is a fast and easy way to decorate almost any surface. It adds a personalised look to your home and can complement your existing décor. By Kirsty Robertson

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Stencilling is cheaper and much less time consuming than wallpaper and allows you to reproduce a pattern or design over and over again.

Pre-cut stencils are available in a wide variety of designs but for a truly personalised look it's much more fun to create your own. All you will need is a few basic materials and tools.

Before you start, get everything together that you are likely to use.

Basic materials

Stencil blank: a piece of acetate (sometimes called Mylar). This is clear so you can easily see through it for positioning it in place.

A design: either draw your design onto a sheet of paper or get a printout or photocopy of the design you want to use.

Tape: low-tack tape is ideal as it is easy to remove and should not pull off any paint from the surface. It also stops the stencil getting sticky.

Paint: acrylics (water soluble paint) are most commonly used as they are easy to use, quick drying and readily available in many colours, but you can stencil with most paints.

Basic tools

Craft knife: a really sharp one as a blunt blade makes cutting hard work!

Cutting mat: (or piece of wood) on which to cut the stencil

Stencil brush: this a specialist brush with short, firmly packed bristles, available in various sizes. The advantage of this over a normal paint brush is that it minimises the chances of getting paint seeping under the edge of the stencil because of the stiff bristles.

All these materials and tools should be available in your local art and craft shops. You can also order all these items online.

Four easy steps to follow

These steps will help you get the best stencilling results.

● Choose a design: produce a drawing, photocopy or printout of the design. When deciding on a design, bear in mind that lots of fine detail is not really suitable to stencil.

● Prepare for cutting the stencil: lay your stencil blank (acetate) over the design and use a water soluble pen to trace the pattern. Place the design so there is at least a 2.5cm border of acetate around the whole design.

●Cut the stencil: using the sharp craft knife, cut the stencil, turning it around as you do, so that you are always cutting at an easy angle. Tip: cut out the smallest pieces first - when the larger pieces are cut out the stencil becomes less stable and floppier.

●Begin stencilling

1. Make sure that the surface you are going to stencil onto is clean and dry.

2. Keep the stencil in place by taping it at the top and bottom using the low tack tape

3. Start painting on the edges of the stencil, working into the centre as this helps prevent paint getting under the edges

4. Don't overload the brush with paint as it will seep under the edges of the stencil. It's surprising how little paint you need and how far it goes. Just dip the ends of the brush in paint. You will get better results by applying 2 thin coats rather than 1 thick one.

5. The best technique when painting is to tap the end of the brush into the stencil rather than brush it across sideways - this helps prevent paint getting under the edge.

6. If you are doing a repeat design, wash the stencil often in warm water to keep the edges paint free - if there is paint on an edge you will not get a crisp edge to your design. Also, it will remove any splodges from the underside of the stencil so that the splodge will not be repeated!

Tips for stencilling success

Try out the stencil on a piece of paper first - it's much easier to correct something that isn't working at this stage than when you are painting on your final surface!

Start stencilling in the least noticeable corner of your room/item

If you are using several colours it is easier to have a separate brush for each colour rather than rinsing the brush each time.

If you do accidentally break the stencil you can repair it by putting sticky tape over the break and then cut the shape again through the tape.

Get inspiration from:

'2286 Traditional Stencil Designs' by H Roessing

'Stencil Graffiti' by Tristan Manro

'Printing by Hand: A Modern Guide to Printing Handmade Stamps, Stencils & Silk Screens' by Lena Corwin

'The Complete Practical Guide to Stencilling & Stamping' by Lucinda Ganderton, Sally Walton & Sturat Walton

Classes

There are many stencilling classes running throughout the country. To find your nearest class check these websites: www.careersadvice.direct.gov.uk - click on ‘find a course' or call 0800 100 900, www.hotcourses.com, www.hobbycraft.co.uk, www.hobbycraft.co.uk

These sites list stencilling classes in your area. Alternatively, ask at your local art and craft shop.

Websites

There are many websites selling pre-cut stencils and stencilling supplies so it is definitely worth having a search around for the best prices. Try:

www.henrydonovanmotif.co.uk

www.homecrafts.co.uk

www.thestencilstudio.com

www.thestencilwarehouse.com

www.stencil-library.com