Stencils are fun to use but sometimes when it comes to fabric it is hard to get it to shape onto the surface. I learned from a friend that freezer paper works as a stencil. This is a great and inexpensive way to decorate a fabric surface.
You will need:
- Freezer paper
- Exacto knife
- Smooth surface for cutting
- Fabric paint or you can use acrylic
- Piece of cloth (or whatever your fabric surface may be)
- Sponge
- Iron (put setting on high)
Let’s get started!
- If you are doing a shirt or a tote bag make sure it is clean. Get your fabric nice and tight on a board. I like to use clothespins and thick cardboard.
- Ok, now for the fun part! Print an image off the computer or create your own. You can place the image under the paper, sticky side down, and draw your image.
- Now to cut! Take your time with this part. I recommend choosing a simple stencil at first until you get the hang of it. Freezer paper can be a little tough to cut super smooth lines sometimes.
- Once you are happy place the image on your fabric (shiny side down). Make sure iron is set on high setting. Iron over the image till it adheres to the fabric. Let it cool then start painting! Make sure you let it completely dry before removing the stencil.
- Carefully remove stencil use a small brush to clean up lines or a fabric pen.
Voila there you have it a neat way to make a custom stencil!
Some tips
- sometimes you may need to add a few coats of paint to really get it into the fabric. I like to use fabric paint I it is something I am going to wash. If it is a tote bag or a hat I like using acrylic.
- If you are doing a basic shape and you have great scissor skills you can use those to cut our your image.
- If you own a Cricut Explore or a Silhouette Cameo machine you can use freezer paper to make a stencil too. Just stick the paper on top of another piece of plain paper.
- You can reuse the stencil about two to three times. To clean it use a warm damp sponge to get the paint off. You can re iron it back on once dry.
- Optional: After the paint is dry, use an iron to ‘heat set’ the paint.