Object Stenciling

I love the way stenciling looks on walls and decor. The same effect can be achieved on fabric using acrylic paint. It's a great way to paint an image on an already painted top or when a seam would prevent a transfer.

Inkjet transparency sheets

Xacto knife

Stencil brushes: 1/8, 1/4"

Flat wash brush, 3/4"

#2 Flat brush

Acrylic paint

Water

Card stock

Towel

Craft Bond spray adhesive

Liquitex Gloss Varnish*

First, you need to make the stencil. Determine what colors to use in each section of the stencil so you'll know which areas to cut out. You'll need to print the same number of sheets as colors. You can print in either black only, greyscale, or color. It doesn't matter as long as you cut out the right areas.

Quilting Creations has a lot of paint stencils on their website. Download the image file and color it in your image program. Print on inkjet transparency sheets. Cut out one color area of each sheet with an Xacto knife. Spray adhesive lightly on the stencil, not the fabric. Wait for the adhesive to become tacky before you adhere it. Smooth over the stencil to get a good seal.

 

 

Study the image to get the paint order right. In this butterfly, the main body purple color is not the first layer. The second pink color is what I had to paint first because of the way the stencils had to be cut.

 

If you're stenciling an image on a painted top like I did, you'll need to paint on three coats as a foundation layer. The wash brush is better for this than a stencil brush. Blow dry between each layer.

 

The second color also needs three coats as a foundation layer. The fourth coat is the blending layer. This coat needs to be tacky. Dip the 1/4" stencil brush into a small amount of white paint. Pick up some of the color paint and mix the two colors in a separate area on the palette. Swirl the stencil brush on card stock to remove excess paint. You only need a tiny amount. Dab the paint close to the area where you want the lightest color. Brush in a circular motion blending out into the darker area. You can move the brush up and down or side to side as well. Blend until there are no visible lines or discernible separation between colors. Repeat this process until it looks the way you want it to. If the paint dries while you're blending, dip the stencil brush in water and blot on an absorbent towel. It only takes a trace of moisture to re-wet the paint. You can remove wet paint with a damp cloth if you make a mistake.

 

Stencil in detail and accent areas.

 

The last area you stencil needs to be the part that brings it all together.

Clean up your lines and over painted spots with a #2 flat brush. Brush on two coats of gloss varnish. *You don't need the varnish if you're painting directly on fabric. Heat set it instead.