In this tutorial, I will show you how to use stencil film for the Cricut. I’ve included some free Moroccan tile stencil templates that you can use as well.
Stenciling is a lot of fun with the Cricut cutting machine. Not only are you free to design your own stencils, but you can also cut your stencil using tons of different materials.
Here in this tutorial, I will go over how to use stencil film or vinyl with your Cricut cutting machine. This also works with other popular cutting machines like the Silhouette as well.
It’s actually a ton of fun. It’s so easy I even involved my kids with the project. I had some extra blank tiles left from another project. I used Sharpies (yes, Sharpies!) to do the painting. While I could use other paint materials, Sharpies were actually the easiest to work with and looked the best. Otherwise, you have to use oil or latex-based paints for ceramic which are hard to come by in smaller quantities.
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If you’re interested in making your own stencil designs, I have a separate tutorial on how to make stencil designs using Cricut Design Space here. (By the way, there are lots of other free stencil templates there!)
Best stencil vinyl for Cricut cutting machines
So I ended up using Oracle Mask which isn’t the Cricut branded one. ORAMASK film is a lot cheaper and works better (I think at least). The Cricut stencil vinyl is nice too but you only get a small piece which isn’t enough to cover larger projects.
Other Materials for Cricut Stencil Maker Projects
Oracle Stencil Vinyl – Stencil vinyl is similar to other vinyl except it is slightly stiffer and isn’t as sticky. It is easy to manage without transfer paper but I still prefer to use transfer paper for more intricate designs like this Moroccan tile pattern used here.
Transfer Paper – Any brand works here. Here is the best deal for transfer paper on Amazon.
Sharpies – I used the blue sharpie from this metallic sharpie set. They actually have the perfect amount of sheen. If you are looking for a Sharpie that is more resistant to wear, try the oil based ones.
Tile Blanks – I used this square tile blank for this project but you can also get round ones as well.
Cutting Machine – I use a Cricut. Check out my recommendations for Cricut machines and accessories for beginners for more info.
Templates – These Moroccan tile stencils templates are available in both SVG and printable formats for free in my resource library.
How to use Oracle Stencil Vinyl on Tiles
Step 1: Cut the adhesive stencil paper
I just used the stencil vinyl setting on my machine. It cut through the paper slightly in some places but that wasn’t really an issue. I just placed the vinyl sheet on a light grip blue mat.
The only tip I would give here is try and cut off as small of a piece from the roll as possible. The rolled vinyl tends to bubble up when unrolled with makes cutting accurately a little more trouble some. If you are working a smaller piece, it’s easier to smooth out the air pockets before cutting.
Step 2: Transfer the cutout Oracle stencil vinyl
You can just peel off the stencil itself but in that case, weed the design first then do the peeling, or else the scraps might get tangled up with the stencil itself.
I’d highly recommend using transfer paper though. When using transfer paper, I like to weed the design once it is on the tile. Also, when backing off the stencil file, try to have the whole thing faced down on the table and peel back the backing paper. You are less likely to rip the design this way.
Step 3: Align and place the stencil film on the tile
This is another benefit of using transfer tape, it is much easier to align the stencil.
Once the stencil has been placed on the tile, try to smooth out any air bubbles.
Step 4: Paint the tile with the stencil
If you using actual paint, it’s best to sponge it on to minimize bleeding from the stencil edges. If you don’t have a sponge brush, a makeup sponge works as well.
I just used a Sharpie for this project so I just colored it in. If you make any mistakes with the Sharpie just q-tip it off with some rubbing alcohol.
Depending on what paint material you use, you might want to seal the finished tile. Aileen’s Gloss finish sealant works great for this project.
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