Want to cheer up a plain t-shirt, bag or tea towel? Freezer paper stencils are simple, cheap and fun. They’re a great way to make your mark on clothing, accessories and gifts.  This tutorial shows you how to make a single color stencil.

You will need:

• Stencil brush: available at craft stores
• Craft knife (or small scissors): available at craft stores
• Fabric paint: available at craft stores. I use Jo Sonja hobby paints and add a Jo Sonja Textile Medium
• Freezer paper (or adhesive book covering) : Freezer paper is the paper with a waxed coating on one side only. It is readily available in the US and can be found in quilting stores elsewhere. If you can’t find freezer paper, you can use adhesive book covering- just don’t iron it!
• T-shirt or fabric to stencil: Pure cotton is usually best, but check the directions on your paint packaging for which fabrics are suitable.

1. Draw your design on scrap paper. You can do your own design, as I did, or search online: for example, search Google images for “dinosaur silhouette” (These images may be copyrighted, so they are for personal use only). To keep it simple, choose a solid design with no gaps or ‘islands’ in it.

2. Trace your design onto the unwaxed side of the freezer paper (or to the shiny side of the book covering, using a permanent pen).  Keep a large border around the design, to prevent paint from going over the outer edges of your stencil.

3. Cut out your design with your craft knife or scissors.

4. Cut out an extra piece of freezer paper slightly larger than your stencil, and place it on the underside of your     fabric, with the shiny, waxed side in contact with the fabric. With a dry iron (steam setting off), lightly iron the paper for about 30 seconds to fuse it to the fabric. (Please note: if you are using adhesive book covering, don’t iron it- it will melt!). This will stop your fabric from shifting when you paint it, and will prevent paint from seeping through.

5. Now, iron your stencil onto the right side of your fabric. Remember to put the shiny, waxed  side down, in contact with your fabric. With a dry iron, press down for about 30 seconds to fuse the stencil to the fabric.

6. Mix up your fabric paint on a palette or saucer. Take a dry stencil brush and dip it into just a little paint- you don’t want too much. Have a practise on some paper, dabbing the flat tip of the brush downwards to make spots of color. When you’re ready, apply the paint to your stencil. If the paint cover is too light, build it up gradually in layers.

7.Now, wait for your paint to dry. This will take 4-6 hours, but overnight is best. If you’re impatient you can help it along with a hair dryer.

8. When your paint is completely dry, carefully peel away the stencil and the freezer paper on the reverse of the fabric. Ta-daa!

9. Finally, heat-set your paint according to the manufacturer’s directions. I usually cover my painted image with a cloth and iron for about 2 minutes, or iron on the reverse side of the fabric.

Now, go and strut your stuff! Once you’ve tried a single color stencil, you can try my tutorials for a two color and three  color stencil.

Guest Blogger Tutorial by Bellgirl, 2010