I have been watching the wonderful stencilling videos that Julie Fei-Fan Balzer has been running this week. Hop on over to her blog to catch up on them all. They inspired me to make some more stencils.
The last lot that I made (see the post here) were hand-cut from cardboard. I liked the designs and have used them a lot. However, when I put them on the gelli-plate, because they're made of cardboard, they soak up the paint. Also, I used them with some spray paints and they've buckled a bit.
Rifling through my filing cabinet I came across some sticky-backed plastic used for covering books and a lightbulb went on. I could make some waterproof stencils!
So I took some cardboard file dividers and trimmed them to size.
Each side was then covered with sticky-backed plastic. If you use a patterned one as I have here, I suggest you stick one side, trim it, and then do the other. If you're using the clear one then it's easy to see where the edge of the cardboard is and you can just trim once.
Mark the pattern you want and cut out. I used a stanley knife (also called, I believe, a box-cutter).
If your pattern goes quite close to the edge you can add a protective border using gaffer tape (duck tape), folding it over the edge and trimming the corners. (Another Julie F-F B tip)
And there you have it - a waterproof stencil of your own design that didn't put a large dent in your budget :) I can see some time at the gelli-plate in my near future...
Hi Tracy, Thanks for this post - I'm wondering if clear contact paper will also work for this? In your pictures, it looks like you are using clear over a brick patterned cardstock? And the finished stencils are sitting atop teal and red paper, right? I think I will try this, but since I already have a roll of clear contact paper, I'll probably use that.
ReplyDeleteActually, the plastic is patterned with the bricks. I'm guessing contact paper is the same thing - the stuff you cover books with to make the paper covers more hardwearing. And yes, the finished ones are over the top of something colourful so that the patterns show through. Have fun!
DeleteI've used plastic file dividers successfully and must have made almost 100 stencils. It all depends on the thickness of the plastic as to how well it works.
ReplyDeleteGreat tutorial! Thanks Tracy!
ReplyDeleteI love the yellow one. Where do you get your designs, own drawings? I use transparent plastic A4sheets with a heattool.
ReplyDeleteYes, my own drawings usually drawn by hand, so not perfectly square, round, or anything else but close enough :)
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ReplyDeleteThese are great! I'm going to have to try to make some. Thanks for the tips on how to make them waterproof!
ReplyDeleteLove your stencils. I was watching Julie's show but it is your stencils that inspire me.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
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