How to Make Your Own Reusable Stencil

To make a reusable stencil, cut your design from plastic stencil film (usually mylar) instead of paper or card, with bridges holding every loose piece in place. For most jobs, 7 mil mylar (about 0.18mm) is the sweet spot: thin enough to cut by hand, tough enough to wash and use again and again. Clean it straight after each session, store it flat, and it will outlive the paint you put through it.

This guide is about making the stencil. If you're still deciding what to make it from, read my stencil materials guide for beginners first, then come back here.

What makes a stencil reusable

A paper stencil soaks up paint, curls, and tears at the thin bits after one or two goes. A reusable stencil has three things going for it:

• A waterproof material. Mylar (a polyester film) doesn't absorb paint, so it can be wiped or washed clean.
• A design that holds together. Any enclosed shape, like the middle of an "O", is an island (a piece with nothing attaching it to the rest of the sheet). Cut it and it falls out. A reusable stencil needs bridges: thin strips that tie those islands back to the frame.
• Edges that stay flat. A clean cut lies flat against the surface. A ragged or torn one lifts, and paint creeps underneath.

Get those three right and you've got something you can use on a wall today and a T-shirt next month.

What you need

• Mylar stencil film, sized a few centimetres bigger than your design on every side
• A craft knife with a fresh pointed blade (a No. 11 style blade or a scalpel) and a pack of spares
• A self-healing cutting mat, or a sheet of glass with the edges taped for safety
• Your design printed on paper at the final size
• Low-tack masking tape
• Optional: a hot knife (a heated pen tip that melts through plastic film), a Cricut or similar cutting machine, or a laser cutter

Which mylar thickness to use

Stencil film is sold by thickness in mil (thousandths of an inch). Here's how the common sizes behave:

If you're buying one sheet to learn on, buy 7 mil. Thinner film bends around curves nicely but creases if you're rough with it. Thicker film lasts longer but your wrist will feel every cut.

Frosted (matte) film is easier to work with than glossy, because you can draw on it with a pencil and see your printed design through it.

How to make a reusable stencil, step by step

1. Prepare the design. Simple, bold shapes cut faster and last longer. Check every enclosed shape has a bridge. Aim for bridges at least 2mm wide on a hand-cut stencil; thinner ones snap after a few washes.
2. Print it at full size. Measure the printed version against the space you're stencilling. Fix the size now, not after you've cut it.
3. Tape the print under the mylar. Lay the print on your mat, put the film on top, and tape the corners of both so nothing shifts. Leave a border of at least 3cm around the design. That border is what keeps the stencil stiff and gives paint somewhere to land.
4. Cut the small, detailed areas first. The sheet is at its strongest before you start, so do the fiddly bits while it can take the pressure.
5. Hold the blade upright and pull it towards you. Turn the sheet, not your hand, as you go round curves. Keep the blade at the same angle the whole way round so the edge stays clean.
6. Use steady, even pressure. On 7 mil film, one firm pass usually goes straight through. If it doesn't, go over the same line again rather than pressing harder and slipping.
7. Change the blade the moment it drags. A dull blade tears mylar instead of slicing it. A fresh blade is cheaper than a ruined sheet.
8. Pop out each piece gently. If a piece doesn't fall out, don't rip it. Find the uncut corner and finish it with the blade tip.
9. Check the edges. Run a finger over them. Any burrs or tags (little strings of plastic) will lift and let paint bleed, so trim them off now.
10. Label it. Write the design name, size and which way is up on the border with a permanent marker. On a multi-layer stencil, number each sheet.

For more on blade angles and multi-pass cuts, see my stencil cutting techniques guide.

Cutting with a hot knife

A hot knife melts through mylar rather than slicing it, which is lovely on curves. Move at a slow, steady pace: stop moving and it melts a blob; go too fast and it skips. Work on glass, never on a plastic cutting mat, and keep the room ventilated because melting plastic gives off fumes.

Cutting with a machine

A Cricut or similar cutter handles thin mylar and repeats the same stencil perfectly every time. Settings vary by machine and film, so always run a small test cut first. A laser cutter is quicker again, and I've covered files, materials and safety in my guide to laser cut stencils.

How to clean a reusable stencil

Clean it the same day. Wet paint wipes off; cured paint has to be scraped.

1. Lay it flat in a sink, bath or shallow tray. Don't bunch it up.
2. Water-based paint (acrylic, emulsion, most craft paint): soak in warm soapy water for a few minutes, then wipe with a soft sponge or cloth. Never use a scourer.
3. Spray paint and oil-based paint: wipe with the solvent the paint tin recommends (often white spirit), on a cloth, outdoors or with a window open. Then wash with soapy water to remove the solvent.
4. Leftover adhesive: if you used repositionable spray glue, a little white spirit on a cloth lifts the residue. More on that in do you need stencil spray adhesive?
5. Dry it flat on a towel, or hang it from a corner with a clip. Don't fold it while it's wet.

Some people leave a thin layer of dried spray paint on and just keep going. That's fine for a rough graffiti stencil, but every layer of build-up makes the edges thicker and the lines softer.

How to store a reusable stencil

• Store it flat. A large art folder, a portfolio case, or between two sheets of card under the bed all work.
• Put paper between stencils. Leftover adhesive will stick them together otherwise.
• Keep them cool and out of sunlight. Heat warps thin film.
• Hang large stencils from bulldog clips on a rail if they're too big to lie flat.
• Keep the paper print in the same folder. It's your backup if the stencil ever does give up.

Common mistakes

• Making the border too small. A 1cm margin feels neat but leaves the stencil floppy and lets overspray past the edge.
• Cutting bridges too thin. They look delicate and lovely, then snap on the second wash.
• Pressing harder instead of changing the blade. That's how slips and torn corners happen.
• Leaving cleaning until tomorrow. Acrylic dries hard on mylar and you'll risk tearing it trying to scrape it off.
• Folding it to store. A crease in mylar never fully comes out, and the stencil won't sit flat again.

FAQ

What is the best material for a reusable stencil?

Mylar stencil film is the usual choice because it's waterproof, flexible and easy to clean. Around 7 mil suits most projects. For a full comparison of mylar, acetate, card and vinyl, see the materials guide.

How many times can you use a mylar stencil?

There's no fixed number. It depends on the paint, how carefully you clean it, and how thin the bridges are. A well-made stencil that's washed straight after use and stored flat can be used many times; thin bridges and harsh scrubbing are what usually finish one off.

Can I make a reusable stencil from a photo?

Yes. The photo needs turning into bold black and white shapes first, with bridges added so nothing falls out. That's what Free Stencil Maker does in the browser: upload the photo, choose how many layers, and it adds the bridges and registration marks for you.

Can I use acetate instead of mylar?

You can. Acetate is cheaper and cuts easily, but it's stiffer and more brittle, so it tends to crack along thin sections after a few uses. Treat it as a short-run stencil.

Ready to make yours? Turn your photo or drawing into a cut-ready design with bridges already in place, then download it to print and cut, or send it to a machine with the laser cutting stencil maker.