Freezer paper stenciling is awesome. It is made even awesomer by the Hunger Games. This week I made around twenty five of these, and man was it a task. But they're awesome! and kind of punny to anyone who knows the story.
So back to the point: Freezer Paper Stenciling. It's fun and easy and it will made you want to decorate everything you have. Not to mention you can whip up your own Hunger Games shirt in less than an hour to wear after the movie.
Tools needed:
- X-acto knife
- Iron
- Tweezers
- Cardboard, X-acto mat, or slightly squishy surface for easy cutting
- Sponge brush, or other brush
Supplies needed:
- Freezer Paper
- Fabric paint
- Or acrylic and a Textile medium (Hobby Lobby)
\\ I made my own fabric paint with a
textile medium. I used two 8 oz bottles of white paint, and one 8 oz bottle of the medium. Worked great!
1\\ You can either print your design directly to the freezer paper, or trace it. I would have printed if I had the resources. Then again, I made a million of these stencils.
2\\ Cut out your stencil. if you haven't find the secret that X-acto knives cut better on soft surfaces, now is the time to learn. I'm not talking a couch or a pillow. More like a piece of cardboard, or a slightly squishy laptop lap desk. (It's a good investment)
3\\ Center your design. This was a pain in the butt for twenty shirts. I measured from armpit to the first letter on each side to make sure they were even.
4\\ Iron it on. TURN YOUR STEAM OFF. or it will ruin your stencil. Iron slow and on medium heat. Make sure you don't flip a corner and iron it. It has a hard time sticking afterwards.
5\\ Paint. Paint in coats, don't try to lather it up all at once. I used a sponge brush and dabbed so I didn't squeeze the paint under the stencil somehow. I was just extra careful.
6\\ Give it a second coat after about ten minutes. Let it dry completely before peeling off. It's not impossible, but it makes it much easier. If you need it off, just use tweezers on the thin pieces of the stencil or they'll rip.
Here's my stencil print out if you need it:
You
can reuse stencils. If they're words like this with many places to rip and stick, it seems impossible. I couldn't reuse one. But simpler stencils work just fine to reuse 2 or 3 times. Or more.. it just depends.
So quick, make yourself a shirt to wear after the midnight showing! And
headbands, too.
Lately I've been thinking a lot about where I want this blog to go. (Is this a blogwide feeling lately, or what?) As I post DIYs, thrift finds, recipes, I know there's something I want to add to this blog. Something more personal and that reflects who I am. And I think I will have more things to say and share as my journey out of this town progresses. I'm kind of in that small town funk where everything stays the same. So, beyond sharing life experiences and exciting events (Not that I wont completely) I want to begin sharing more of what I love. The thing that I am most passionate about above all- arts. Beyond just the crafts I post. I'm talking about the photography I love, the clothes I try to sew, music that takes me places, and I guess above all- my voice. I find I don't spend nearly enough time using ability- that power of mine on this blog. And maybe it's because I get caught up with all kinds of busy things that I forget I can, or maybe it's because I'm not sure anyone cares enough to read. But I realize that's not really the important part.
