I recently made an art project as a birthday gift for a young friend of mine.
I hadn’t seen the exact technique I invented to make stencils posted anywhere, so I figured I’d share it. I don’t think this is a good method, but maybe it will inspire someone to do something better.
I started with a blank tile. On top, I put down a layer of painter’s tape (basically masking tape, but a little less stretchy).
I printed and taped a piece of paper on top (made using this online tool with the font BreeSerif):
I used an x-acto knife to cut through both the top paper and paper, then removed the paper. Then I peeled the letters out of the painter’s tape.
I painted the letters with acrylic, let them dry, and removed the tape. In retrospect, it probably would have been easier to remove the tape wet, because acrylic paint is a little stretchy and I went over the lines.
The letters happily lifted right off the glazed tile, which hadn’t been sanded or anything. I added a heavy coat of modge-podge spray sealant, which kept everything in place after drying.
Finally, I used a masonry bit to drill screw holes in the tile, so it could be attached to a door.
She seemed to like it :). But now she wants to make one too. I’ll have to see if I can invent an easier way.