Hot-Glue Gun Stencils Tutorial

The hot-glue gun isn’t just a handy tool for sticking things together – you can use it to make your own DIY stencils too! You can use the hot-glue gun to draw out any patterns or shapes, let them cool and then use the glue pattern as a stencil or mask on your project.

To get started, plug in your hot-glue gun and once the glue is coming out easily and is flowing well, you are ready to draw with it on a craft sheet. Keep the flow as steady as you can. The pattern can be as simple or as complicated as you like.

For more complicated stencil designs, it is a good idea to try and interlink areas to make one whole design and not lots of little bits of design. Once you have the design drawn out on the craft sheet in hot-glue, let it cool completely then peel it off the sheet. If you aren’t sure if it is ready, press it lightly with a finger protector and if the glue sticks or bends then it isn’t ready and you should leave it for longer. It is ready when the glue feels solid.

You can then use the hot-glue stencil in the same way as you would a normal stencil. Place it on cardstock and spray paint or ink through it. It is a little lumpier and more uneven than other stencils so it will not work quite as well with pastes or gels, but it is perfect for sprays. You can also paint the flat side, which was on the craft sheet, with paints and press them into the surface to make printed patterns too!

Heat up your hot-glue gun, grab your finger protectors and craft sheet and get ‘drawing’!