A Sweet Smelling Flower

Stencils

If you are thinking of doing some redecorating in your house, or are looking for a fun way to create professional quality arts and crafts, then you should consider using stencils. With stencils, a world of creative possibilities will be opened up to you that will allow you to create truly stunning works of art in your own home.

A stencil can be best thought of as a physical negative- it is simply a sheet of material - usually plastic or a heavy construction paper - that has had sections removed to create an image. All you have to do to recreate the imagine is to place the stencil on the recipient object and run paint or some other pigment over the entire stencil. Because the paint will have passed through the holes in the stencil onto the recipient object, you will be left with a perfect recreation of the image. Want to create a second or third image? Just use the stencil again as often as you want to create identical images.

How to Use Stencils for Home Decor

Stencils can be incorporated into almost any home improvement or arts and crafts project you do. Indeed, your imagination is the only real limit to where you can use stencils.

A popular use for stencils with arts and crafts is to create beautiful greeting cards. Instead of using stock cards this holiday, why not create personalized holiday cards with the use of a stencil? Stencils can also be a great way to encourage creativity in children. Younger ones will enjoy using stencils because they can do all the work themselves and still end up with a perfect image.

The most popular use for stencils around the house is for border - whether around wall edges or as a border around windows or door frames. A more creative use of stencils is to paint large images on your walls- in this way, you are using stencils in the place of or as a trendy alternative to wallpaper.

How to create the best high quality stencil images

Stencils are undeniably easy to use - that is, after all, one of their main attractions. Nonetheless, you can take steps to ensure that you are creating the best images possible.

If this is your first time stenciling, it is probably a good idea to try it out on pieces of paper before painting a large oriental flower scene on your dinning room wall! It is important to get a feel for how much pressure to use when applying the paint, and - importantly - how much paint to use. You will likely be surprised at how little paint is actually needed to create a strong image.

To place the stencil on the wall, you have two options. The cheaper method is to simply use masking tape. The advantage of masking tape, other than its economy, is that it does not need to be cleaned off of the stencil, as opposed to adhesive repositioning spray, your other main option. Adhesive repositioning spray creates a firmer hold than masking tape, and is quicker to apply. Masking tape will still be a better option if you are planning to use both sides of the stencil, however, as you will have to wash off the glue before attempting to paint that side of the template.

Steve Dolan is an artist and uses stencils around the house as well as in his art. Click to find out how you can use stencils too and to add light click Lanterns and Chinese Lanterns mywork.name/loans/go/go.php?sid=1.lanternsweb]