Lynzee Lynx has been cutting and using her own stencils from an early age. She says, “It’s so fun and easy! It’s a great way to expand and deepen a piece—just add a layer of stencils on top of a background and see what happens. I prefer to use old manila folders and a craft knife. I often find that I most enjoy repeated patterns when it comes to stencils. The cool thing about stencils is that you can make them as simple or complex as you want.”
acrylic or spray paint
craft knife
manila folder
pencil or writing utensil
stencil brush (recommended) or paintbrush
stencil tape or masking tape (optional)
STEP 1: Draw your design on a manila folder. Shade in the areas that you are going to remove.
STEP 2: Using a craft knife, cut out your design. Clean up any edges as needed.
STEP 3: Lay your stencil flat on your canvas. You can use stencil or masking tape to hold the stencil in place if needed. Paint over your stencil with a stencil brush. (Lynzee spray paints her stencils outside while wearing a mask.)
STEP 4: Carefully peel the stencil back to enjoy the image you have just created.