If you love to paint, one technique you may wish to use is stenciling. Stenciling can be very fun, but it isn’t as easy as it looks! To learn how to stencil properly, you must be very careful and precise-if you aren’t, your projects will turn out looking like big blobs instead of pretty shapes.

To begin stenciling, choose a design that is large without a lot of detail. This will work great for practicing. Acrylic or tempera paint is best to use with stenciling, although some stencil kits come with special paint that you can use as well. How will you apply the paint to the project? That depends on the project. For larger surfaces, like walls, a sea sponge or even a kitchen sponge works great. For smaller projects, however, look for smaller tools to dab the paint onto the surface. Never use your regular paintbrushes, as the technique for stenciling is no to stroke but rather, to pounce the brush or sponge up and down, filling in the stencil.

When you have all or your supplies and are ready to being stenciling, you should first tape the stencil to the surface. You can also cut the stencil out of contact paper to create an easier type of stencil, but this will not work on every surface. Try to begin with projects on flat surfaces until you get the hang of the stenciling technique.

Begin with the lightest color of your stencil first, and start along the edges, filling in as you go. When you start with lighter colors, you can shade when you get to the darker tones, creating a three-dimensional look to your stenciled craft. Also, don’t be afraid to mask off parts of a stencil. For example, if you are stenciling an apple, cover the fruit with tape and paper while you do the leaves and then, after they have dried, cover the leaves to fill in the fruit. Some stencils come in packs with multiple layers to help you do this.

When you stencil, use as little paint as possible. Never dip your brush or sponge into paint and then directly go to your project. Have a paper towel or rag ready to blot of any excess, so that you are using the very least amount of paint possible. This will create a much better result in the end, even if it takes longer. Stenciling may at first seem extremely easy, especially to an avid painter, but it actually takes a lot of patience and practice to achieve the look that you really want.

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