Stencilling Tips and Tricks
Experiment with all of the materials mentioned above to see which suits your particular purpose and style. You can buy precut Mylar stencils which are reusable and allow for great flexibility in application. They are flexible enough to apply to round surfaces and bend into corners. A rule of thumb is to use mylar for stencils that will be over-worked and paper for simple one time use. Mylar stencils will clean up easily with a little soap and water if used with water based paints. It is easy to transfer the design to heavyweight mylar and cut your stencil. Tape your sheet on top of your design and trace the outline with a black permanent marker. For the purposes of this class room exercise I have used simple overhead projection sheets. This is because they are readily available to teachers and they are durable and can be used over and over again in group work so that the same image can be used many times.
Cutting Out The Stencil
Use some kind of plastic sheet that is translucent -- the lines of your design should show easily through what ever it is you choose. You will then be able to simply cut along the design lines with a fine craft knife. If you are using cardboard or paper that you can't see through, insert a piece of carbon paper between the cardboard/paper and your design, then trace over the design. A simpler solution for very little children is to photocopy the design for them so that they only have to cut it out. Cut your pattern with a craft knife a pen type knife is a good option. Cut your edges smoothly and carefully. Another option is to purchase a precut stencil such as the ones displayed here
The key to cutting a stencil is a confident hand -- and a sharp blade. Replace or sharpen your blade regularly to ensure clean cuts.
Painting Stencils
Because the plastic sheet can be reused and because it can be turned over this activity was designed so that the fish could be placed in a variety of positions. Don't forget that by reducing or enlarging on the photocopier it is possible to cut a range of sizes. When placing the various sizes talk to the kids about size, relation, background and forground, depth and perspective and so forth.
This simple design is teacher created. I have kept
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