Fabric Stenciling and Cricut Stencil Projects

Fabric stenciling, particularly Cricut stenciling, is a rapidly growing craft. Fabric stenciling itself has been a fun craft for quite some time, but with the advent of the new Cricut machines, stenciling has reached greater heights.

What is stenciling?

A stencil is a thin sheet of plastic or heavy paper that has a design cut from it.  Adhesive is applied to the stencil, which is then applied to the fabric.

To stencil, the artist paints on the fabric with a stencil brush, using the stencil where it is open.  Once the stencil is removed, the design will remain on the fabric.

Stencils can be purchased at any craft store, and it is even possible to create your own stencils. 

How do you paint fabric without bleeding?

To keep the integrity of the design both while painting and after, it is important to prepare the fabric. If the fabric being used is prone to wrinkles, be sure to iron it first after pre-washing to keep the design looking nice.

Applying spray adhesive to the stencil before placing it on the fabric is helpful as well.  This will keep the stencil openings close to the fabric, which will prevent bleeding of paint.

What is the best paint for painting on fabric?

When stenciling fabric, there are specific fabric paints such as Jacquard textile paint or regular craft acrylic paints to use.  Acrylic paint is a popular option to use when fabric stenciling. Most artists prefer to use this paint because it is easy to work with, adheres well to most fabrics, and is inexpensive to purchase.

However, when using craft acrylics, it is best to add a bit of fabric medium to the paint to make it softer and easier to apply.  This also helps prevent paint from seeping under the stencil.

There is no need to add fabric medium to textile paints as they have it already mixed in.

What items can be fabric stenciled?

When learning how to stencil fabric, a new world opens up to transform so many different items. Fabric items to stencil include

• Pillows
• Baby onesies
• Curtains
• T-Shirts
• Pillowcases
• Aprons
• Totes and bags
• Denim
• And more!

Cricut stenciling is very popular. It is possible to make one-of-a-kind stencils with a Cricut machine.  Learn more on our Cricut topic page.

Cricut has a special stencil vinyl that makes fabric stenciling so much easier. The color of the vinyl doesn’t matter since the fabric stenciling will be done and then the stencil is thrown away.

These types of Cricut stencils are not the kind that can be reused over and over.

In order to make a stencil for Cricut stenciling that could be used time and again, a special stencil film must be purchased to use with the Cricut.  The stencils made with this film are just like any stencil that can be purchased. 

Just like other stencils, spray adhesive on the back will help ensure a neat finish. Be sure to use a good quality spray adhesive that is repositionable. Always use the adhesive in a well ventilated area, just like paint or varnish.

Simply mist the back of the stencil and allow it to dry a bit so the adhesive gets sticky.  This is important to prevent any of the spray adhesive from transferring to the fabric.

The adhesive can be reapplied as needed while working on the project.

Look below for tutorials on projects, basic fabric stenciling directions, and special fabric stenciling tips.

Scroll on down and get ready to start stenciling!