The Secret to Getting Perfect Stencil Lines

Learn about my secret weapon to paint a stencil without bleeding! This easy trick will guarantee you'll have crisp lines every time!

Have you ever tried to use a stencil and found that the paint bled underneath it? I have and it’s so frustrating to ruin a perfectly good project. This easy trick will totally change the way you use stencils! I’m going to show you my secret weapon for making crisp lines with stencils every time! Keep reading to find out how to paint a stencil without bleeding.

The first wood sign I ever made was this Laundry sign that I repurposed from the Hobby Lobby clearance bin. I painted over whatever it originally said, and used my Cricut to cut out the stencil. I pressed the stencil on firmly and carefully painted around it. But when I peeled it off, I found that the paint had bled all underneath. It looked awful and I had to spend quite a bit of time touching it up by hand which defeats the whole purpose of using a stencil!

So I talked to several of my crafty friends to see if they had any advice on how to paint a stencil without bleeding….and I heard about this game-changing hack that will give you perfect lines every time!

Step One: Cut Out Your Stencil

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Start by cutting your stencil out with your Cricut. I used the free SVG file available here to make a sign for my craft room. Cricut makes special stencil vinyl for this purpose or for a more affordable option you can use cheap contact paper or random pieces of vinyl you don’t need for other projects.

Step 2: Attach the Stencil

Next, weed the letters out and use transfer paper to attach the stencil to your wood sign. Press the stencil down firmly.

Step 3: Seal the Stencil

Then use my secret weapon that will let you paint on stencils without bleeding: MOD PODGE! It doesn’t matter if you use glossy or matte — either will work. Use a foam brush to paint a very light layer of Mod Podge over the stencil which will seal the edges and prevent paint bleeding! Just one coat is all it takes!

Step 4: Paint the Stencil

Let the Mod Podge dry completely, then paint a couple of light coats of paint.

Step 5: Admire Your Work

When the paint is dry to the touch, carefully peel off the stencil and reveal your perfectly crisp design! This simple hack will give you professional quality stencils guaranteed!