Make A Custom Stencil

Custom stencils have a variety of applications which include putting designs on your walls or t-shirts. So bearing in mind how useful stencils can be at Go Repairs we're going to show you how to make a custom stencil yourself.

WARNING! If you attempt to make this yourself then take all necessary precautions and wear any necessary safety equipment. Safety advice.

Materials Needed:

• A4 Paper
• Craft Knife
• Printer
• Drawing Software
• Printer Transparency Film
• Sticky Tape
• Re-positional Adhesive Spray
• Something to cover areas to they don't get spray paint on them (like newspaper)
• Spray Paint

Free drawing software: Inkscape and Gimp. Others are available, just do a search for free drawing software.

Start by drawing your design in the software of your choice (you could of course draw it manually too), making sure not to leave any areas floating. If you do have areas that float like the inside of the letters O and R in our design, then you will need to create a channel to secure them. I would also do your design in black as this offers the greatest contrast to a white background, making some of the steps easier.

When your happy with your design scale it so it will fit on an a4 piece of paper and print it out.

Now take your a4 printer transparency film and put it on top of your printed design so it fits squarely. When its lined up you can tape the edges to hold it in place.

Carefully cut the printer transparency film with your craft knife, using the printed design underneath as a guide. If you take your time with your cuts and use a guide where you can you will achieve a better end result.

Remove your custom stencil from its paper backing and spray the side to stick down with your re-positional adhesive spray. While the stencil is left to stand as directed by instructions on the can, place down something to cover your work surfaces - I used some newspapers. Ensure that where ever you work is well ventilated and you wear all necessary safety gear, in particular a good face mask.

Now take the item you wish to stencil your design on and place it over the newspapers, laying down additional papers if needed. Position your custom stencil over your item, in our case an orange boiler suit, and adjust until your happy. When your happy with its location, cover the areas surrounding the stencil so you don't accidentally get spray paint somewhere you don't want it.

Start spraying the stencil, putting down enough paint to get the desired effect your looking for. You may need several layers depending on the paint that your using. If your happy with the coverage, leave it to dry.

When enough time has elapsed and the stencil design is dry you can peel off the protective layers and reveal your custom stencil design.

Now your stencil design is done your ready to face the world.

Remember a similar method as we've shown your here can be used to create wall stencils or even car stencils. The next time someone asks you "how do I make a custom stencil?" you can point them here.

Stencil Tips:

• Take your time when cutting out your stencil, using a guide where you can.
• For cleaner lines make sure you put enough re-positional adhesive spray on the edges of the stencil design. These should be smoothed down with your finger to make sure they are stuck down.
• Make sure your stencil design doesn't have any floating areas.