Making a Quick Spray Paint Stencil, and Using It on Clothing




This idea came from my year 8 art assignment. The challenge was to make something ordinary extraordinary. While this isnt the best idea nor the most unique I like the result and am wearing my extraordinary pants right now.
A stencil is a useful tool to have as it can be reused and provides many different applications. It can be put on different surfaces and materials and will, with a good design and better application, provide clear markings that are attractive, formal, warning, or anything you can cut out.


Step 1: Materials

This bits really simple.  Basically you will need:
Cardstock or
Craft knife
Krylon Spraypaint

Optionally you need a computer and a printer

A thin card instead of paper will provide much better results.

Step 2: Getting an Image

To make a stencil you obviously need an image. This can be whatever you want and whether you draw it or print it is your choice. The best images are tribal tattoos as the are made up of lots of small parts that can be easily cut out. Other good things are words or shapes.

Images such as a picture aren't such a good idea as they won't show any detail, only a sillouette. If you  choose to do a picture it is possible to cut out a little bit of several of the same picture and individually spray paint them so that the mutiple colours overlap and create the one picture. Today i'll only do the easy type and two-tone

Get your image and paste it into word. Make sure ou put it in the middle of the page. Here you can reshape it until it is a better size. When you have it the size that you want load in your card or paper and print

Step 3: Cutting It Out

This is the trickiest step! Be very careful withthe craft knife, it doesn't need very much pressure to slice the paper and only a tiny bit more to slice your finger.

Using small and slow movements cut around each piece one ege at a time. This is where cardstock will show its worth as it wont tear and rip and will slice cleanly. just keep going around the edge until you can lift up the whole piece.

Take breaks as this can really give you a headache, I suggest looking at your lolcats or something and cutting in between. Also work a a decent height as leaning over it constantly for 10 large stencils will mess your back up for days.

Once you have your section(s) removed cut a small square at each corner a few centimetres from the cutout segment. Masking tape will go over these and secure your stencil to your subject.

Step 4: Spraying It

Place masking tape over your squares and stick to the subject. Shake up spray can well and spray a quick burst. Aim at stencil and begin spraying from about 30cm back. Do not concentrate paint in one spot, move it over the stencil for even cover.

Wait a few seconds and remove stencil. If there are drips running down then you sprayed too close or too heavily. If there are fuzzy lines around the edge then your stencil wasn't properly secured. you can fix this by using cardstock and closer squre holes.

Step 5: Onto Clothes

Because I did this in year 8 i have no pictures of spraying onto the pants.

Basically its the same as spraying onto a hard surface. Spread your clothes out on something flat, unless you have a correct width beamm which you can slide inside. Press down stencil against surface and hold tightly.

Just spray like you would in the last step but make sure the clothes dont shift. If you are spraying on a sleeve, leg ect spray as much as you can and then turn it, before matching your stencil back up with what you've done so far and continue. This technique works well a band around a leg or sleeve.

Step 6: The Stencils

These are a bonus! A select few of all the stencils I have, (around 60)


Finalist in the
Krylon Summer Projects Contest



    • Fandom Contest

      Fandom Contest
    • Woodworking Contest

      Woodworking Contest
    • Gardening Contest

      Gardening Contest

    4 Discussions


    Reply 8 years ago on Introduction

    Thanks! I just googled Tribal tattoos and got this great site. They have heaps of catagories and great designs


    8 years ago on Introduction

    that thunderbird/eagle/hawk design is really cool ! spray adhesive works well to stick a stencil onto cloth, especially fi theres lots of small areas that its easy for the spray to get under..