The Best Stencils & Templates

Buying Guide

If you’ve seen today’s fancy planners and journals, you may feel like you need to be an artist to get in on the fun. But there are many tools that can help, such as stencils that will guide you as you put pen to paper and neatly draw designs.

Stenciling is an art in itself. Securing the stencil to the surface beneath it is key to ensuring you get solid, straight lines. This is especially important if you’re using paint or ink to completely fill in the area inside the stencil, rather than simply drawing an outline around a blank area on the page.

Most stencils are a thick plastic material that allows you to easily trace the outline on a piece of paper. But if you’re working with wood or a large canvas, you might want one that’s a little thinner to create a smoother edge around the image you’re creating.

For larger projects, the images themselves will be larger, too, so you’ll need a different type of stencil than you’d use for a journal or planner.

• Don’t feel like you can’t mark on your stencil. Most stencils are made to be easily cleaned with just soapy water. You’ll want to clean them as quickly as possible after use to make sure the ink or paint doesn’t have time to dry on the plastic.
• After each use, clean your stencils and set them out to thoroughly dry before packing them up and storing them.
• Your little ones might want to get in on the fun, too. Look for stencils that have smooth edges and are recommended for children. You can also find stencils with kid-friendly images.
• Stencil sheets come in a variety of sizes. Smaller ones can be easier to store and they more easily attach to larger pages while you’re working. But keeping up with multiple sheets of stencils can be tough. Some come with a ring that you can use to hold everything together.
• While you’re checking the size of the stencil sheet itself, take a close look at the size of the images it will create. You might be disappointed to find that the images are much smaller or larger than you expected, making them unsuitable for your project.
• Some stencils are hole-punched to make them easy to store in your planner or journal. If you use the same sheet often, this could be a great way to keep it handy at all times.