How To Make Stencils To Upload To Cricut

You'll be amazed at how easy information technology is to create custom stencils with Cricut stencil vinyl. With the assistance of your trusty Cricut cutting machine, you'll be making DIY stencils in no time!

I'll show you the easy way to brand stencils with Cricut stencil vinyl in this pace-past-step tutorial. Plus, I'll give you all of my tips and tricks and then your project will turn out corking – even if you've never stenciled before!

Black and tan tray with a stenciled image of woven rattan made with Cricut cutting machine and stencil vinyl

Making Stencils with a Cricut

There are many ways to make stencils with Cricut – even more ways to employ them! Stencils tin requite a professional-level finish to all sorts of DIY dwelling house decor projects, like painted pillows, handmade wooden signs, and custom t-shirts.

In this post, I'll show you everything you need to know about making DIY stencils with a Cricut. I've written this tutorial with beginners in mind, so we'll cover the whole stencil process in depth from start to finish. Then, I'll demonstrate how to use the stencil to paint a custom wooden tray. Afterwards that, I'll answer your ofttimes asked questions about making stencils with Cricut.

New to Cricut? You may want to read this first: What is a Cricut Automobile, and What Can it Practise?

What is A Stencil?

A stencil is a thin sail of material – usually plastic, vinyl, or newspaper – with a pattern cut out of it. To use a stencil, lay the stencil canvas on a surface and employ paint overtop. The paint will only laissez passer through the cut-out areas of the stencil, transferring the blueprint to the surface.

Stencils are very versatile. Here are just a few of the different types of projects yous tin make with stencils:

painted wood signs
stenciled "wallpaper" and borders
painted flooring and wall tiles
cookies and cake decorating
silk screen printing
glass carving

Stencil designs can be simple or circuitous. While you may be able to cutting unproblematic stencils by hand, a Cricut machine is a perfect tool for cutting intricate stencil designs quickly.

overhead image of materials and tools used for making Cricut stencils, including a blue cutting mat, stencil vinyl, brayer tool, weeding tools, paintbrush and chalk paint

Stenciling Supplies

Here are the materials and tools you'll need for this project

A blank surface, such every bit a wooden tray, a t-shirt, or a wall.
Stencil Vinyl. I like using Cricut Stencil Vinyl, merely I'll go through another options.
Transfer tape, optional.
Pigment or stain. For this projection, I'll be using chalk paint.
Stencil brush or sponge castor.
Cricut machine. I'll exist using a Cricut Maker, but the Explore series and Cricut Joy will too work.
Weeding tools, scraper tool, and a brayer.

If yous aren't sure what Cricut machine is right for yous, y'all may be interested in this super-detailed buying guide that outlines each machine's pros and cons.

Go along reading for a helpful step-by-step tutorial on making Cricut stencils with stencil vinyl. And don't forget to gyre to the bottom of this post for printable directions!

overhead view of Cricut weeding tools and stencil vinyl applied to an unfinished wood tray

Best Stencil Materials for Cricut

Your Cricut car can cut stencils from all sorts of materials, including Cricut Stencil Vinyl, regular removable vinyl, mylar stencil film sheets, and more than.

With all of those choices, you may be wondering:What is the best stencil fabric for Cricut? Here are some of the most popular materials, forth with their pros and cons.

Cricut Stencil Vinyl

I love using this stencil vinyl because information technology's thicker and more durable than regular vinyl. The adhesive backing holds the stencil in place while you lot paint and prevents color bleed.

Cricut Stencil Vinyl is repositionable and reusable, too. As long as your stencil design isn't also intricate, you should be able to reposition the stencil many times before it tears or loses its stickiness.

Regular Removable Vinyl

You can use regular removable vinyl – such as Cricut Premium Vinyl or Oracal 631 – to make stencils. It's a great way to utilize scraps or colors that you don't want anymore.

Since regular vinyl isn't designed to be used as a stencil, it might tear when yous peel it away from your projection – and then don't plan on reusing information technology.

Stencil Movie

Stencil film sheets are washable and reusable. You can apply stencil film sheets over and over again, and so they're perfect for making multiples.

Stencil film is made from durable, flexible mylar – just like the pre-made stencil sheets you can buy in a craft shop. They don't normally come up with adhesive backing, only you can spray them with stencil adhesive to keep them in place.

You can even detect food-safe stencil film sheets to brand food or cookie stencils with Cricut.

Freezer Paper

I love using freezer paper to stencil on cloth. The freezer paper sticks to the textile, so y'all don't have to worry well-nigh paint bleed. So, it easily peels off when yous're finished painting. Learn more almost freezer newspaper stencils here: How to Make Freezer Paper Stencils.

Cardstock and Paper

You can fifty-fifty use cardstock to make stencils. These paper stencils aren't very durable, then yous can't reposition or reuse them. Notwithstanding, they're great for ane-off projects.

Nosotros'll be using Cricut Stencil Vinyl in this particular tutorial. But feel costless to play around with whichever material suits your projection and your preferences.

Which Cricut Machine is All-time for Stencils?

You'll be glad to know thatall Cricut models tin can cutting stencils!

The Cricut Maker and Cricut Explore series machines can cutting all types of stencil materials, including stencil vinyl, mylar sheets, and freezer paper. With a standard size mat, yous can stencils up to 11.five″ wide and 11.5″ long. Or, utilise the larger size mat to make stencils upward to 11.5″ wide and 23.5″ long.

The Cricut Joy can cut stencil vinyl, removable vinyl, and freezer paper with ease. The Joy can cut elementary designs out of the stencil pic sheets likewise, but you lot may need to brand multiple passes. With a standard size mat, you tin can cut stencils up to four.5″ wide and half-dozen.5″ tall.

overhead image of a stenciled tray with candles and pencils

How to Cut Stencils with Cricut

In that location are iv main steps to making stencils with your Cricut.

Design the stencil in Cricut Design Infinite
Cut the stencil
Apply the stencil
Paint the stencil

Allow me show you lot how to do each step.

Stride 1: Design the Stencil in Cricut Blueprint Space

The first affair to practise is select the image yous'd similar to stencil. Yous tin can choose a blueprint from the Cricut Access Libary, upload a stencil SVG file, or make your own stencil in Cricut Design Infinite.

Search Cricut Access

You can search the huge library of images in Cricut Access for stencil project ideas. To find expert stencil images, use the search terms "stencil" or "pattern."

For this project, I'll be using a free image called "Lattice Pattern Overlay" from the "Border to Edge" epitome set up. I duplicated the epitome several times and welded them together to create a larger design.

Upload your ain paradigm

You tin besides upload your ain stencil epitome to Cricut Pattern Space. One great identify to find cool SVG files is Etsy. Or, check out the gratuitous stencil images on freestencilgallery.com.

Design a Stencil in Cricut Blueprint Space

Another pick is to blueprint your own stencil image in Cricut Pattern Infinite. You tin can make a stencil of a monogram, some letters, a short quote, an illustration, or whatsoever combination of those elements.

Call back to keep all parts of your stencil image connected if you want to reposition and reuse your stencil. All blueprint elements must exist touching if you want to cut the stencil vinyl equally ane solid slice.

image of Cricut Design Space canvas designing a stencil image

Stride 2: Cut the Stencil Vinyl

Once you've finalized the stencil design, you can gear up to cut the vinyl.

First,place the stencil vinyl onto a LightGrip or StandardGrip Cricut cutting mat. I like to roll the stencil vinyl with a brayer tool to make sure it is flat, shine, and well-adhered to the mat.

And so, press the button toload the mat into the machine.

Adjacent, go dorsum to Cricut Design Space, and send the file to your Cricut machine. Here's how to do that:

Click the green "Make it" in the peak-right corner.
On the next Prepare screen, bank check that your design looks correct. If so, click Continue.
On the next Make screen, click Scan All Materials and select Stencil Vinyl.Note: If you have a Cricut Explore Air 1 or 2, turn the Smart Dial to Custom and then that you tin can use the Browse All Materials menu.

Afterward that, you lot are ready tocut the pattern. Double-check that the Fine-Indicate blade is loaded into your Cricut machine, and click the flashing Go push button to cut the design.

When the Cricut has finished cut, unload the mat. Now it's time to transfer the design.

Optional Footstep: Weed the Blueprint

At this indicate, you may or may not need to weed the blueprint or use transfer tape. Here'southward how to tell if you need to weed the stencil vinyl:

Needs Weeding and Transfer Tape:

If your pattern is very intricate or contains floating elements, you will need to weed the design and utilise transfer record to transfer the stencil from the liner to your project surface.

Weed the pattern. Remove the negative pieces from the stencil using a weeding tool or tweezer.
Remove the transfer tape liner. Place the transfer tape, agglutinative side down, onto the stencil design. Burnish the transfer tape onto the stencil vinyl.
Slowly skin away the stencil vinyl liner at a 45-degree angle.
So, advisedly identify the transfer tape with the stencil vinyl onto your surface.

Doesn't Demand Weeding or Transfer Tape:

If your blueprint is relatively unproblematic and made of connecting elements, you lot may be able to pull the Stencil Vinyl from its bankroll without weeding it start. Later on you pare the stencil from the backing, you will be able to identify it onto your project without using transfer tape.

close up image of using a scraper tool to burnish the cut Cricut stencil vinyl onto an unfinished wooden tray

Step 3: Employ the Stencil

Ready to utilise the stencil vinyl to your project surface? Here we become:

First, brand sure your project surface is make clean and dry. Then, carefully place the stencil vinyl onto the surface. Take your time to position information technology exactly as you would like the final epitome to announced.
Use a Cricut scraper tool or an old gift card to burnish the stencil vinyl onto the surface. Start burnishing in the heart, and then move out toward the edges of the image. Burnishing the edges will create a good seal and preclude your paint from bleeding under the edges. Since the stencil vinyl is transparent, y'all'll exist able to run across where information technology's making expert contact, where at that place might be bubbles, or where you need to burnish more.

If yous are using transfer record, you'll follow the same burnishing instructions. After burnishing, gently peel away the transfer tape at a 45-caste bending, leaving the stencil vinyl on the project surface.

overhead image of painting a stencil made from Cricut stencil vinyl

Step 4: Paint the Stencil

Now that you lot have the stencil vinyl applied, it's fourth dimension to paint your design!

Employ a stencil brush or a sponge brush to dab a lite coat of paint on top of the stencil vinyl. The paint will pass through the cut-out areas of the stencil, transferring the design onto your projection surface.

For more coverage, you tin can utilize additional thin coats of paint as necessary. Go on in listen that it's ameliorate to use 3 thin coats than one thick coat to prevent paint bleed.

And then, one time the paint is dry out, gently remove the stencil vinyl. At this point, yous can reposition the stencil vinyl to a new area and reuse it.

If for some reason, the stencil stretches or tears as you lot remove information technology, you tin can use your Cricut to cut some other stencil.

Here are a few more stenciling tips:

Use as a special stipple brush or sponge brush to apply the paint.
With stenciling, a lilliputian paint goes a long style. Offload any excess pigment by tapping the castor on a newspaper towel.
Tap the brush over the stencil in an up-and-down motion. Don't brush the pigment side-to-side, as that can cause the colour to drain under the edges of the stencil.
Wait for the paint to dry earlier removing the stencil to forbid drips or smears.

When you are finished stenciling, y'all tin seal your slice with a articulate glaze. For a wooden tray like this one, I like to use a coat of water-based polyurethane.

overhead image of removing a stencil from a wooden tray

close up image of stencil rattan image on a wooden tray made with cricut stencil vinyl

Frequently Asked Questions

Stencils can be tricky, particularly if you are new to the technique. Here are a few troubleshooting tips to aid you become a practiced result.

Do You lot Have to Weed Stencil Vinyl?

You don't necessarily have to weed stencil vinyl – information technology depends on the intricacy of your blueprint.

Since Cricut Stencil Vinyl is thicker and stronger than regular vinyl, you lot can frequently remove it from its backing without the pattern stretching or violent. And so, if your stencil blueprint is relatively unproblematic, y'all should exist able to peel upward the stencil without weeding the small $.25.

On the other manus, you may need to weed the stencil vinyl if your design has a lot of curves, is very open, or has a lot of delicate parts.

Exercise You Have to Utilise Transfer Tape with Stencil Vinyl?

Once again, information technology depends! In many cases, you can skin the stencil vinyl off of its backing and apply information technology to your projection without the use of transfer tape.

However, if your blueprint is intricate – or has any non-connected, floating elements – you can utilise transfer tape to aid you lot.

If you are having trouble getting the transfer tape to release the stencil vinyl, here are some tips:

Gently peel the transfer record abroad from the stencil vinyl at a 45-degree angle.
If the vinyl keeps sticking to the transfer tape, use a scraper tool to burnish the vinyl onto the project surface.

Is Cricut Stencil Vinyl Reusable?

Yeah, you tin can reposition Cricut Stencil Vinyl and reuse it in another area. After yous utilize paint to the first expanse, let information technology dry to the touch. Then, carefully skin off the stencil vinyl. The agglutinative should be mucilaginous plenty that yous can lay the stencil back downwardly in a new area and utilize it again.

At present eventually, the adhesive volition habiliment out, or the stencil will rip. But, yous can easily use the Cricut to cut another stencil.

Can you use Stencil Vinyl on Fabric?

Yeah, you can use Cricut Stencil Vinyl on a diverseness of materials, including wood, fabric, canvass, plastic, newspaper, and more.

Tin you lot utilise Stencil Vinyl for Drinking glass Etching?

Yes, you can. But, since Cricut Stencil vinyl is thicker than regular vinyl, it may be more than challenging to use to curved surfaces. And then, just keep that in mind when designing your stencil.

overhead image for stenciled wooden tray with black woven rattan image

Explore More than Cricut Projects

If you love crafting with your Cricut, you may be interested in these articles.

How to Make Shirts with Cricut Iron-On Vinyl
How to Make Reverse Sheet Wall Art with Cricut
How to Clean a Cricut Mat and Make information technology Viscid Once again
How to Make Stickers with Cricut "Print so Cut"

pin image for how to make Cricut stencils with stencil vinyl

What's Adjacent?

Pivot this post: Save this tutorial to your Pinterest boards and then that you tin can come up dorsum to it subsequently.

Leave a annotate: I love to hear your feedback. Tell me in the comments beneath!

Share on Instagram or Facebook: When you make this project, share information technology on social media and tag me @sarahmaker. I love to encounter what yous make!

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Instructions

Design the stencil paradigm. Upload your ain SVG file to Cricut Pattern Space, use an image from the Cricut Access library, or pattern an image using the tools withing Cricut Blueprint Space.
Place the Cricut Stencil Vinyl onto a Cricut cutting mat. Load the mat into the Cricut machine.
Click "Arrive" to send the file to the Cricut machine. Select Stencil Vinyl from the Materials menu, load the Fine-Point Blade, and press the flashing Go button to kickoff the cut. Once finished, unload the machine.
Advisedly peel the stencil vinyl from its bankroll and employ information technology to the projection. Use a scraper tool to burnish the stencil vinyl onto the surface, sealing the edges. (If necessary, weed the design first and then utilise transfer tape to apply the stencil vinyl to the projection.)
Use a stencil brush or a sponge brush to dab a calorie-free coat of paint over the stencil. Apply additional thin coats of paint for more than coverage as needed.
Permit the paint dry to the touch, and so gently remove the stencil vinyl. At this point, you tin reposition the stencil vinyl to a new expanse and reuse it.

Notes

For more tips and tricks, see the FAQ section above.

Sarah Stearns has helped thousands of makers find their adjacent craft project with free patterns and step-by-step tutorials on her blog, sarahmaker.com. Read more.

Her work has been featured in Scientific American, Practiced Housekeeping, Vox, Flat Therapy, and more.

Source: https://sarahmaker.com/make-stencil-cricut/

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