I have been really interested in working with stencils but they can be really expensive. I wanted to make my own stencils but have them be reusable. I have plans to experiment with a variety of different materials. This post contains the first of that process. I had some overhead projector films left over from my past years teaching so I decided to start with it. I cut out a few stencils using the overhead film on my Cricut Maker. 

I want to thank Cricut for supplying materials used in this process.
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Materials for stencils:

• Overhead projector film sheets
• Personal cutting machine (Cricut Maker)
• free SVG files

Instructions:

Download your desired stencil SVG and load it to your cutting machine.

Leaf stencil SVG

Ginkgo stencil SVG

I used the acetate setting but stopped it from cutting the design twice because a second cut wasn't needed. I also found that I needed to really make sure the film adhered well to the cutting mat or it lifted while cutting. The small Cricut scraper really worked well to push down the film to the mat. I wasn't concerned with scratches, although none were made.

Ginkgo leaf stencil, cosmetic brush, and ink pads

The brush set I used can be found on Amazon at https://amzn.to/2MuDCAd

And if you are looking for that cool mat I am working on, it is a Water Media Mat by Waffle Flower. You can find it at Scrapbooking.com

paint, cosmetic brush, and stamping versions

video of how the stencils were used

This is my favorite image that I created during this experimentation.

I am not done trying different materials to make stencils. There will definitely be more experimentation in the future. I hope to find the best material for making stencils that can be reused. So far, I am really happy with this version made from overhead projector film. 

If you are looking for additional free SVG stencils files, take a look at my other site The Craft Chop and use the search function on the right side of the page and search on the word "stencil" you will find a bunch more for free.