Stenciling 101

Lesson 2: Practice Run - Getting the Basics Down

Moving on - Lining Up Your First Repeat

Now that we've completed our trial runs, we need to align the stencil with the first one to create a repeat that is aligned perfectly with the original.

Turn over the stencil now to make sure that no paint has leaked under the edges. If it has, wipe the side that will go against the wall clean, or you will end up with smudges. Stencil paint dries very quickly, but you also want to make sure the stenciling you just did is dry enough that repositioning the stencil won't smear the work you just finished.

Now - locate the registration marks that should be at the four corners of the stencil. (Note: In some stencils you will find the marks only at the top of the stencil and not at the bottom.) A registration mark is a small hole, usually not part of the design, which is there to help you align your stencils so that they repeat perfectly - straight and with no gaps or overlaps.

To form the next repeat, take the stencil and position the registration holes at the left of the stencil over the pencil marks you made earlier at the end of the first stenciling. This should insure that everything will line up perfectly with no odd breaks in the design repeat. If you are doing this on the wall, you might also want to very light guideline to make sure you don't also run up or down hill ? but if you use the registration marks precisely this should not be a problem.

Once the registration marks line up, tape the stencil in place again and continue as before. You can continue this until your border has reached the desired length ? or, since this is simply a practice run, until you are bored with rehearsing and want to get on to the real thing.

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