When You Eff Up Your Own Tutorial...

...it's totally not worth posting.

Yesterday, I decided to create a tutorial for better freezer paper stencil printing. I whipped up a quick design, and cut it out using my X-acto knife. The problem is, I am in dire need of new blades, so the paper ripped and slightly frayed in some parts of the design...resulting in a messy final result after I applied the fabric ink.

When I do prints, I normally take the long road and create my own screens for them. However, I'll occasionally use freezer paper if I'm just making a quick design. The thing that I hate about the tutorials for freezer paper stencils is that every one I've seen instructs you to use a brush and paint directly onto the fabric over your stencil once you've got it ironed on. This results in visible brush strokes...which is good if you're looking for a textured appearance, but unsightly if you want a crisp, professional looking print.

So until I get my new blades (which won't be until I make the journey to my craft mecca - Joann Fabrics, 40 mins away. No, my Walmart does not sell X-acto blades...wtf), I'm just going to tell you the secret of cleaner prints (when you have a crisply cut out design, anyway).

The trick is to use a hybrid of home screen making along with the freezer paper. Take your "screen" (I use a fine, sheer tulle), and simply place a big enough piece over your design after you've ironed the freezer paper onto the fabric. Next, take a glob of your ink and toss it on top. Finally, hold the screen firmly in place with a hand and use a straight edge to smooth the ink over the design evenly (I use a putty knife). Remove the tulle, peel off the paper, and walla! A freezer paper print without brush strokes.