Today we are going to look at creating our own stencils. Next week we will be using the stencils to make customized throw pillows or chair cushions for your home.
Materials Needed:
- Frosted plastic sheet 11x14" (sold at major craft stores or online)
- Exacto knife
- tape or pins
- your own design drawn out to scale
- magazines or cardboard for padding
Place your padding material on a hard surface.
We are going to stencil these designs onto chair cushions and throw pillows next week.
Make sure your design is to scale. It is fine to make a small design to be used for the corners. If you make one small (2-3") design for the center of the pillow, it will get lost in the space. On the other hand you don't want it so large that you are running over the side seams. On a standard pillow, approx. 8" in height and width is average. For subtle, go a little smaller and use colors to blend. For bold go a little larger and use contrasting colors.
You do not have to be an artist. If you see a design you like take it to a copy machine and enlarge or shrink to size. Lay the design on the padding and the plastic sheet over that. Secure them in place with pins or tape so nothing shifts while you are cutting.
Using your Exacto, carefully cut out the design. If the design is more detailed, make sure you are leaving small branches to hold small pieces in place.
For example, I am cutting out the letter P and I want to have the inside of the letter include a circle to outline the inside of the letter. I will not cut out the circle completely. I will draw it to include a couple of small branches that connect to the outside of the P. This will keep it in place and insure consistency.
Once you get the project all cut out it is time to have fun. Practice on different surfaces and using more than one paint. Next week we will make chair cushions and throw pillows using our stencils but for now, look around the house. You could creat a design for your drapes or walls or that tired looking hassock. The options are limitless.
Email we with your questions and ideas.
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