Essential Stenciling Equipment
Stencil Brushes
A good brush for applying paint through a stencil has a flat or slightly curved bottom and reasonably firm bristles. A round or oval profile very suitable. There are special brushes that are purpose made for stenciling.
Stencil brushes have densely packed bristles, and a round profile with a flat bottom. A good set of brushes in several sizes, will not send you broke and are essential for many of your stenciling projects. A range of sizes from 1/4’’ up to 1” will do for most projects.
If you cant get hold of proper stencil brushes, look for any brush of similar size that has stiff bristles and a flat bottom.
Sponges
If a textured effect on your painting is what you want then get hold of some sea sponge. These sponges are firm and hold their shape very well. You can buy sea sponges from your drug store, supermarket or local art supplier.
Foam Roller
For large stencils or stencils that have large openings, a foam roller can make your stenciling proceed very quickly. For most stenciling jobs a small 2’ or 2 ½ ‘ foam roller is adequate. The only downside of using a roller is that you get more paint spread over the wall stencils witch means more frequent stencil cleaning. Once again use a separate foam roller for each color to avoid spending too much time cleaning between stencil colors.
Pencils and Felt Tipped Pens
Pencils can be used to draw faint trace marks onto the to wall to act as a guide for stencil placements. A sharp 2B pencil is very suitable for this purpose. Use a fine felt tip marker for marking out your registration marks onto masking film when doing repeat patterns or using multi part stencils.
Repositionable Adhesive
Repositionable spray adhesive is applied to the wall stencil so that it sticks against the painting surface. It also prevents paint from bleeding under the stencil and ruining your work. There are many brands on the market. Some brands spray too fine a droplet and so you need to spray the back of your stencil with more coats to get the same amount of adhesion. Some people use tape to secure the stencil to a surface, but I find this too risky because the edges of the stencil shape do not always sit flush with the wall and paint can easily get behind the stencil. There is less wastage in using a spray adhesive that sprays a heavier droplet or mist. This way, more of the spray gets onto the stencil and less ends up as a fine mist just floating in the air.
Masking tape
Masking tape can be used to help fix a stencil to the wall. It is also useful to draw registration marks (when required) onto a piece of masking tape instead of directly onto the bare wall. Low tack tapes are ideal transferring your registration marks onto your wall because they are less likely to pull off paintwork. Buy some regular painters masking tape as well as the low tack variety.
Measuring Tape
A tape measure is a handy tool to have when laying out stencil designs. It doesn't replace a steel ruler but is great for measuring out large wall areas and getting into tight corners. You wont really need one of these for small jobs but they come in quite handy when planning out a border pattern or a large mural. Four or five bucks is all you will need to spend on a suitable measuring tape.
Steel Ruler
At least one steel or aluminum ruler is essential for a variety of uses such as measuring out and planning the position of your stencil design. It also comes in handy for cutting up sheets of stencil film. Its good to have both a 300mm and 600mm ruler at hand.
Level
Use a spirit level for aligning your stencil image against your wall surface, and for laying out repeat border patterns.
Paper Towels
Plenty of quality paper towel is indispensable for any stenciling project you will embark on. Use it for cleaning both your stencils and brushes. Also great for mopping up accidents that tend to happen from time to time. The other main use for paper towels is to get rid of excess paint from your brushes or paint roller. If you don't want to use paper towel, clean white cotton rags will be just fine.
Disposable Paper plates
The same type of disposable paper plates that you would use for party food are ideal for holding your paint. You can also use shallow pottery or glass bowls but shallow paper plates are better because they run less risk of getting knocked over. You don't ever need to fill them up because you need some space in the dish to dab your brush in order to get rid of excess paint.
Plastic Tray
This item is important and its used to clean your stencils and to soak them between use. I use an ordinary plastic kitty litter tray from the supermarket. Its big enough to hold my average size stencil and I always keep the water clean. I add some dishwashing detergent to help make the stencils easier to clean up after use. This tray measure 290mm X 380mm on the inside and 90mm high. If your stencils are too large to fit into a litter tray, you can buy larger flat bottom shallow plastic trays from the hardware store.
Scissors
Scissors come in very handy for cutting pieces of masking tape. Cutting stencils into manageable pieces and many other reasons that you will only find out while you are working with stencils. Most folks already have some type of scissors around the house, and if you don't, then they are easy enough to buy.
Plastic Ground Sheet
Another really important item to have around is a large plastic ground sheet to protect your floor, skirting boards and furniture while you are creating your masterpiece. You don't need an expensive canvas painters drop sheet for this purpose. Thin plastic drop sheets can be purchased from the two dollar stores that seem to be everywhere right now. I often buy cheap plastic table covers for a couple of bucks. The important thing is to have one handy. You will be so glad you did.
Paint
Paint is not really a tool or piece of equipment, but it does deserve a bit of consideration. For most small to medium wall painting projects, you can use artist acrylics from your local craft shop or art supplier.
If you still are unsure about which paint is suitable for your stenciling project, read the articles on stencil paints. Once you are armed with the correct species and required colors of paint, and of course your stencils, you will be ready to create your very special and unique masterpiece.
I have covered just about everything you will need for the average wall stenciling project. I did say "just about". You will also need some freshly percolated coffee and some good music in the background. Maybe invite over a few friends to witness your work of art and give you plenty of unsolicited advice on how to progress through your project.