That's So Cuegly

Gina from THE SHABBY CHIC COTTAGE

is guest blogging today! She came by for a little chat and an ice cold lemonaid!

(Okay so I've never met her and I dont have lemonaid, but I LOVE her blog and I love to chat)

She's here to give us the 1-O-1 on making your own STENCILS!

(which I still have yet to attempt and conquer! So thanks for the Tutorial! I cant wait to widen my horizon of crafting with STENCILING!!!)

Stencils are such an easy way to add instant art to your home. A little paint and a stencil is all you need to make a canvas come to life, add flair to a pillow or even make signs that are your own personal reflection.

Here are some of my pointers for making your own stencils.
*Use a rotating exacto knife. The head of it swivels and it will glide around your cut out so much easier. It's a little priceier than traditional ones, but the quality can't be beat. I have done many stencils with a stationary one, so if that's all you have it will work just fine. Take your time and use a sharp blade. If you use a dull blade it will just rip and stretch the contact paper.
*I use clear contact paper because I don't have to guess where I am placing the stencil.
*Measure and lightly mark where you want the center of your stencil to go. Plan ahead so you don't get frustrated trying to put the stencil down. *Layer on the paint. Don't try one heavy coat. I apply paint with my bare finger. I put paint on then blot it off before moving to my stencil. Start on the contact paper and move inward to get crisp lines. Moving from the center out will result in seepage under the stencil. Moving inward gives you another chance to make sure each tiny spot is well secured.
Want many, many images of the same design? Make a stamp! Take the reverse image of what would be the "stencil" and trace it onto sticky back craft foam. Next, peel off the backing and apply it to a piece of wood. Now you have a stamp! It is much cheaper to make your own stamps versus buying them premade. Of course this is for plain line images, if you want detail then you need a premade stamp. (This method is PERFECT for letters.)

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY GINA!