Did you know there is such thing as Stencil Vinyl?? Let’s talk about it! What is it, do I like it, how to use it – all that good stuff!

Have you ever tried Stencil Vinyl? I just did and I wanted to give you my thoughts. This post contains affiliate links, all opinions are my own.

Things you’ll need:

—Stencil Vinyl Starter Kit – it comes with 10 sheets and 4 sheets of transfer tape

-OR-

—Stencil Vinyl

—Transfer Tape (my favorite is the clear grid!!)

BASICS

What is Stencil Vinyl?

It is vinyl that is made specifically to be used as a stencil. It’s edges are supposed to seal to your project better than regular vinyl. When the edges seal better, there is less likeliness of paint seeping under the edge and more likeliness of crisp lines.

Stencil Vinyl vs. Stencil Material

Stencil Vinyl is one-time use, it sticks to your project. Stencil Material is thicker, like a firm plastic sheet, that you use over and over. They are two different things.

What are the cut settings for Stencil Vinyl?

You’ll cut it like you cut regular vinyl, maybe with just a little bit more pressure. DO NOT use the preset “stencil” material cut settings (if you’re on a Silhouette Machine) – those are for Stencil Material, not Stencil Vinyl

My thoughts about Stencil Vinyl

Normally my method is to use regular vinyl, then seal the edges with mod podge, then paint. (You can read about that vinyl stencil method HERE). That gives crisp edges. But I wanted to see if Stencil Vinyl could get crisp edges without the step of sealing the stencil. So I tested it! I used stencil vinyl and I DID NOT use mod podge. Results: it definitely sealed better than just regular vinyl. I think regular vinyl PLUS a layer of mod podge seals better than the Stencil Vinyl. BUT, if you’re in a rush, or don’t want the hassle of doing the mod podge, Stencil Vinyl is the way to go. In the future for super crisp lines, I am going to try stencil vinyl WITH the mod podge, I feel like that will be the ultimate choice. Overall I was impressed with Stencil Vinyl plain compared to using regular vinyl plain.

Stencil Vinyl is the same cost as regular adhesive vinyl, about $1 per sheet.

How to Use Stencil Vinyl

Lucky you, I have a quick video to walk you through how to use stencil vinyl. I also have step-by-step pictures on down if you want that instead. Enjoy!

First up cut your design, using the same settings as you would for cutting vinyl. Next, peel away (weed out) the areas where you want to paint. Here I wanted to paint the heart, so I pulled that section out.