The latest from the Stencil Maker

Featured Artist: Kevin Minium–Classic Ford Coupe Stencil on Canvas
Sometimes you have a great idea for a composition and just can’t wait to get started. Whether he’s working in mixed media to create football concept art (we gather he’s a Seahawks fan) or just tricking out the man cave, artist and maker Kevin Minium never waits to do anything. And in this case, what…
When To Use a Halftone CMYK Stencil versus a Traditional Stencil
Halftone stencils are fun to make and paint, and they are surprisingly versatile for reproducing images that traditional stencils often can’t reproduce. Elsewhere we show how to make and use a CMYK halftone stencil. This article is all about knowing when to use a halftone stencil versus a traditional stencil. As you’ll see, sometimes you…
Why is the NASA logo so popular?
Many people look to space exploration as a way to expand our horizons and push the boundaries of human knowledge and understanding. The NASA logo serves as a reminder of our potential as a species to achieve great things, and the importance of scientific discovery and exploration in our lives. The meatball and the worm…
20 Midjourney Prompts to Generate Stencils
When MidJourney first launched, we immediately wanted to come up with a stencil-friendlier version of Frida Kahlo. Interesting, and we eventually got what we came for. Now we’re back with more practice, and more experience getting a desirable stencil result. Why not go directly for what you want? Why beat around the bush if MidJourney…
Use Midjourney to Make a Repeating Wall or Floor Stencil
You’ve seen high-impact rooms with repeating patterns stenciled on the wall or floor. We generated some repeating interior wall stencils together some time ago. But what about making your own custom pattern? I made a dozen custom patterns in an hour or so with MidJourney version 5. (Remember, we used the AI to generate stencil-ready…
Render an Internet Meme with a Stencil
Memes, with a little text or context, get your point across very quickly. Did you know that they work as well as stencils as they do on the Internet? If you want to stencil with a meme, you’ve got something going for you: it’s a meme, so people recognize it. Apart from the context, you…
What’s the difference between spray paint stencils and dabbing stencils?
What is a dabbing stencil and what is a spray stencil? A dabbing stencil is one where you physically touch the surface with a brush or sponge or roller. On the contrary, with a spray paint stencil you never touch the surface because you are spraying the paint at the surface with a spray can…
How to Clean and Care for your Mylar Stencils
Mylar is polyester Mylar (polyester) stencils are lightweight and durable, but paint residue can build up over time, resulting in a blotchy or drippy application of paint. Fortunately, cleaning your mylar stencil is easy. Just follow these steps. What You’ll Need What you’ll need depends on what it is that you want to get off…
How to Make a Stencil Card
Making a stencil card is easy and fun if you have a craft cutter like a Cricut Explore series. But before we walk you through the steps to create a stencil card, have a look at what the final project could look like. What you’ll need You’ll need a craft cutter, like a Cricut Explore,…
How to Paint an Oversize Stencil Using Registration Marks
In a recent post, we painted a three-panel giraffe to warm you up to multi-panel stencils. Now we’re going to paint a four-panel stencil that uses registration marks on all the corners. It’s easy to follow the video example, but the key steps are shown here. Steps to paint a 3-layer, 4-panel stencil Assuming that…