How to Make Reusable Stencils: DIY Buffalo Plaid Planter

Learn how to make reusable stencils using your Silhouette or Cricut. Plus make your own trendy DIY Buffalo Plaid planter and stencil all the things with your new reusable stencil! This post contains affiliate links, which help to support this site at no extra cost to you.

Today, I’m happy to share a great technique with you guys. We are going to be talking all about how to make your own stencils that you can use over and over again. I often will use adhesive vinyl to make stencils (like I did here), and I’m a big fan of vinyl stencils; however, they can only be used once. Sometimes you want stencils that can be used over and over again, and that’s where stencil material comes in.

I love using stencil material to stencil a larger area or for multiple projects. It just makes it so easy to use the same stencil multiple times. I used the stencil material recently to create some fun mermaid projects using a mermaid scale stencil and some spray dye during a recent Friday Craft Club (you can check that out here).

This time around, I’m using stencil material to make this cute buffalo plaid planter:

DIY Stenciled Buffalo Plaid Planter Supplies:

• Stencil Material – I used the Silhouette Stencil Material that comes in a roll, which you can get from Silhouette, Amazon, or Michaels. You can also purchase Silhouette Stencil Material in smaller sheets, which you can get from Silhouette, Amazon, or Expressions Vinyl.
• Silhouette Cameo or other electronic cutting machine (you could also cut this with a craft knife and some patience)
• Unfinished Wood Planter (I got mine from Target, and they are no longer available, but these are similar.)
• Acrylic Craft Paint
• Stencil Brush or Foam Pouncers
• Small Round Brush
• Weeding Hook
• Buffalo Plaid Stencil Cut File

How to Make Reusable Stencils with Silhouette Stencil Material

You can cut your stencil from the stencil material with any electronic cutting machine or even by hand with a craft knife. I used my Silhouette Cameo 3 to cut my stencils, so I will explain the steps for cutting with that machine.

1. Prep the Cut File

Start by opening your stencil design in your cutting software. I am using my Buffalo Plaid Stencil design. Make sure that your design is stencil-friendly and that you connect any “islands” in the middle of letters or other parts of the design. My Buffalo Plaid Stencil design is all ready to go. Refer to this post for more info on how to use SVG files (and other file types) with your Silhouette.

Then scale the design to the appropriate size for your project. I scaled my stencil so that 3 boxes would fit on one side of my planter.

If you are using a Silhouette, then select “Stencil Material” from the materials menu in the “Send” tab. The recommended setting worked perfectly for me: Blade – 3, Speed – 2, Force (Thickness) – 33.

2. Cut the Stencil

After your design is done cutting, peel the stencil up off the paper backing and remove all the little pieces from the designs. A weeding hook works great for this.

3. Apply Stencil and Paint

To use your stencil, position it on your surface, and smooth it down to get a good seal all around the stencil. The adhesive on the stencil material will hold the stencil in place. Use your stencil brush or sponge pouncer to gently and lightly apply paint over the stencil.

Finally, after you have covered the stencil area with paint, peel up the stencil to reveal your design.

Repeat this process on each side of the planter making sure to line up the plaid with the adjacent sides. If you have any spots where the paint bleeds under the stencil, you can use a small round brush to touch it up if you want.

And that’s it! I filled my buffalo plaid planter with some faux succulents, and I think it’s pretty cute.

I also made a little reverse canvas featuring my new “Get Lost” design (you can see it above), which is available for purchase in my shop.

If you guys have any questions about making your own stencils or working with stencil material, leave them in the comments below.

Happy Making!

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