Stencil Design Background Tutorial

If you’re after some quick and easy cards with the wow factor, then we’ve got you covered! This time the focus is on stencils and various ways of creating with them. They are perfect for adding interest to card backgrounds and are easy to use. And to make it more fun, I’ve included a couple of step-by-steps photos for you to follow.

There are so many stencil designs on the market it can be difficult to choose just a few, especially if you are just starting out. I’ve taken the guess work out of the equation for you and selected a few stencils to demonstrate various difficulty levels to get you started. I used a different stencil with a simple pattern on each of these cards.

If you are a beginner, start with simple patterns and try them with different-coloured inks to see what effects can be achieved. Alternatively, you might like to purchase the Altenew Builder stencils that come with instructions on the back of the packaging that clearly explain how they can be rotated and will allow you to achieve the most amazing dimensional backgrounds in a few simple steps. All you need is ink and a blending tool or a sponge. You can also create your very own versions with these so keep on playing and exploring.

I personally love simple patterns, because they allow me to create my own patterns like those shown on the intermediate and advanced cards within this feature. I don’t tend to use a ton of patterned papers so creating my own layered backgrounds with inks and stencils has always been my go-to alternative. You can create many different effects with just one stencil, depending not only on your colour combinations, but also on how you rotate it or shift it. These fun backgrounds are great as they are or can be die-cut, cut to smaller size, made into a focal point or even paper pieced.

Stencils are durable and can be used with other wet media like paints, pastes, sprays, adhesives and glitter, embossing and more! All you need to remember is to clean them in between applications to keep them in good condition and they will serve you well for years to come. Keeping a small caddy of water or a water spray and a cloth on your craft desk when working with paints or pastes will save you time running to the bathroom after each use and who doesn’t want to maximise their time in the craft room?! Enjoy!