How to Stencil a T Shirt | Custom T Shirt Stencil Project | Oak Lane Studio

How to Stencil a T Shirt | Custom T Shirt Stencil Project | Oak Lane Studio

Make your style your own with this Custom Stencil T-Shirt Project from Oak Lane Studio.

What are the types of stencils?

At Oak Lane Studio, we make stencils for a variety of purposes, from interior design to home décor to personalizing unique gifts!

What to use for stenciling?

We have everything you need to for your stenciling project, including an incredible selection of stencils for all occasions and tastes, brushes, rollers, paints, adhesives, etc.

What paint to use for stenciling?

The type of paint you need depends on the application. We offer acrylic paints for indoor projects and patio paints for outdoor use. For fabrics, just mix a little Fabric Medium (available on our website) with the acrylic paint. Acrylic paint can also be for glass and whiteboards by mixing it with household dish soap.

Do you pull stencil off wet or dry?

It’s best to remove your stencil while the paint is wet. This will prevent dry, peeling paint from ruining the crisp, clean lines created by utilizing proper stenciling techniques.

How do you keep paint from bleeding under stencils?

It’s easy to prevent paint from bleeding underneath your stencil. Simply ensure that your brush or roller is barely wet with paint. This is achieved, after soaking the foam or bristles, by repeatedly swirling or rolling it onto a stack of paper towels prior to applying the paint through the stencil. Layer the color using numerous light coats.

Here's what you'll need:

What you need

Ordering your Custom Stencil

First, visit OakLaneStudio.com today to order your custom stencil. You can choose your text, font, size, and layout and even upload the image of your choosing and we will work with you to make it into a piece of visually compelling stencil art!

Preparing the Shirt

Iron the shirtUse a garment-sized boxPlace center of chest over boxEnsure there are no wrinklesPosition stencilMeasure from collar

Before stenciling make sure your shirt is clean, free of lint, and free of wrinkles.

Next, wrap your shirt around a cardboard box top or similar object, ensuring that the area you are going to stencil is centered over the flat part of the box. To ensure proper design placement, also make sure the stencil is equidistant from and parallel to the shirt edges.

Position your stencil so that the design is between two and three inches from the bottom of the collar, depending on the size of the design and the shirt size.

Preparing to Stencil

Repositionable spray adhesivePress stencil into placeAmericana Acrylic PaintPour out a small amountAmericana Fabric MediumStir together completely

Now, remove the stencil and spray the backside with some Repositionable Spray Adhesive in a well ventilated area. Wait 30 to 60 seconds for the spray to become tacky, then re-position it on the shirt and press to ensure good contact.

Shake your bottle of Americana Acrylic Paint prior to pouring out a small amount onto a paper plate. Next, add an equal amount of Fabric Medium and mix thoroughly with a brush until it is blended completely with the paint.

How to Stencil

High Density Foam RollerRoll in one direction repeatedly to soak pad evenlyRemove excess paint from rollerLight coatsReload brush as neededChange direction frequentlyContinue until shading is fullPeel away stencilVoilà!

Load your high density foam roller by rolling it in one direction into the edge of the puddle of paint, each time gradually picking up more and more paint. This will ensure that the roller soaks up the paint evenly.

After initially loading the roller, remove excess paint by rolling it a few times on a stack of paper towels.

Apply the paint by rolling it through the stencil, one area at a time, using light coats. Reload the roller as needed but don't forget the fabric medium each time you pour out more paint! 

Stenciling with Multiple Colors

Second shirtMeasureFrog TapeMask the text since it'll be a different colorAvocado paintLeaf greenMix together to form new shadeFabric mediumStir it up

Repeat the above steps for additional shirts and stencils.

If your design contains more than one color, use Frog Tape painter's tape to mask off the area that you are not currently stenciling.

For the green portion of the design, I mixed Avocado and Leaf Green. When combining two or more colors, be sure to mix them completely before adding the fabric medium.

Paint the logo greenRemove tapeMask logo adjacent to textBlackMix with fabric mediumStencilFinish blackRemove stencilFini!

Apply the color to the first design element using the aforementioned techniques.

After finishing with this color, remove the tape and apply new tape to mask off the area you just completed (or any other areas that will be stenciled separately).

Locking in the Color

Ironing boardLay fabric over designIron on low to lock in paint mixtureBlue!Repeat for other shirtWhite!

After stenciling is complete, allow the shirts to dry completely. To speed up this process, use a blow dryer on the lowest heat setting.

To lock in the design and protect it from repeated wearing and washings, use an iron on the cotton setting. Place a piece of cotton fabric between the shirt and the iron to avoid the paint becoming "burned" by direct contact with the iron.

Your Custom Stencil T-Shirt is ready for the runway! ...okay, maybe just the produce aisle at your favorite grocery store. But still, you'll be turning heads while you turn that head of cabbage to check its quality.

The runway....
...minus the model

Visit OakLaneStudio.com to order your custom stencil today!