Friday, October 3, 2008

Prepping a bird stencil

I realize this is probably something that people who work with stencils will roll their eyes over and say how silly and simplistic of me to demo "prepping a stencil." But, since I went to the trouble of thinking this potential problem through, I decided I might be able to save a few people a headache, plus show how I used the last of my UHU Tac.
My problem was the stencil I was given (NO, I didn't cut this out. I'm not that good with a craft knife) was not large enough for the project I wanted to spray paint (see next post). Since the pieces I was working with were 8.5 X 11 inches, I needed something that would protect the entire area, not just the small space around the bird. So, I cut down a used USPS flat rate envelope and folded it to the inside. I laid the stencil on top of the fold at about half way on the stencil, both top/bottom and sideways. I then used a sharp charcoal pencil to put dots on the page at the lowest, highest and widest part of the bird (not the complete stencil).
From there, I cut a rectangle using the dots as guidelines. When the rectangle was removed, I attached the bird with low tack tape.
In order to hold the bird in place, I decided to use the UHU tac. I could have used a repositionable glue, but I wanted to use both sides of the stencil and wasn't sure how spray paint would interact with repositionable glue, which is impossible to remove once it's on.

I warmed the UHU tac per the instructions, then formed it along the lines of the bird.
I had to work with it for awhile, but I was able to finally get it inside the stencil on both sides.

I was unable to use this stencil (see next post) because I didn't have a third spray color that would work with the bird. However, UHU tac doesn't dry out, the stencil will be ready as soon as I get spray paint that is a contrasting color.

3 thoughtful remarks:

SarahP.Fuller said...

Another awesome use for UHU Tac! Brilliant Elizabeth.

Alyssa
www.GlueWithUHU.com

Mary said...

Wonderful idea Elizabeth. Thank you very much for sharing it with us. :)

Mary

Linda Manning Findley said...

anxiously waiting the end results .... Linda F