Brighten up your drink station this summer with a stenciled "Sip Sip Hooray" Sign!
Did you know that cut files can be used with more than a Cricut machine? It's true! This "Sip Sip Hooray" sign was made using a stencil, but the design was originally a cut file. It was so easy to make this sign using the Ikonart kit, and I love how it turned out. It will look fantastic in a kitchen near a drink station, or would be a fun piece of party decor displayed with ice-cold drinks on a hot summer day!
New to making reusable stencils? Here's how to Get Started with Ikonart!
Be sure to check out this fun video Team Creative Crafts made
of 3 awesome teacher gift ideas using stencils made with the Ikonart kit!!
To make your own Stenciled "Sip Sip Hooray" Sign, you will need these supplies:
- "Sip Sip Hooray" Design (commercial use available)
- Ikonart Custom Stencil Kit
- 15" x 8" White Metal Sign
- ColorShot Acrylic Paint (Little Black Dress & Cosmo)
- Squeegee
*Save 15% on Ikonart supplies when you shop with code AFM15
The first step in making a stencil with the Ikonart Kit is print the design. When you download a cut file, they usually come with different file types. Upload the PNG image to your favorite printing program and size the image to fit the 8.5" x 11" Ikonart Printer Film. The "Sip Sip Hooray" cut file is available for free for you to use for personal projects (though a commercial use license is available.) Print the design as dark as possible on either inkjet or laser Ikonart Printer Film.
Don't have a printer or are having trouble printing the design? Here's a clever hack: You can actually use your Cricut machine and cut the design out of adhesive vinyl, and apply to the film instead of printing!
The next step in the process is exposing the stencil film. Set up the exposure stand with UV LED Light by following the directions included in the kit. Ikonart Stencil Film is light sensitive, so be careful to keep it out of sunlight and bright lights before exposure. Cut a piece of the film the slightly larger than the design print.
Lay the piece of film down on the base of the stand with the textured side facing up. Place the printed design on top of the stencil film, making sure it's right-side up. This means that if there are words in your design, you should be able to read them.
Lastly, place the clear exposure sheet (found in the stencil film pack) on top and press it down well to seal the design tight against the stencil film. Turn the exposure light on and expose the film for 35 seconds.
The final step in the stencil-making process is to washout, or rinse the stencil. Clip the exposed stencil film to the Ikonart clipboard with the shiny side (carrier sheet) touching the clipboard. Use the kitchen sink sprayer to rinse the stencil film with warm water until the design shows through and becomes completely clear. The washout process shouldn't take more than 3 minutes.
Gently blot excess water off the from of the stencil, and remove it from the clipboard. Hang or lay the stencil flat to dry for about 45 minutes. When the stencil is dry, you shouldn't see any water spots or discoloration.
Place the the stencil back on the exposure stand and expose it again for at least 2 minutes without the clear cover sheet. This extra exposure time will increase the durability of the stencil so you can get as much use out of it as possible.
Use a permanent marker and write "back" on the carrier sheet (shiny side) on the back of the stencil. Now the stencil is ready for use!
Remove the clear backing from the stencil and center the design on the metal sign. Once the stencil is in place, rub it down well, especially around the open spaces of the stencil to make sure there aren't any air pockets.
Add a thin line of black paint below the word "hooray" (but not near the edge of the stencil), and use the squeegee to lightly pull the paint over the stencil. Make sure that all of the letters have been evenly covered, and scrape any excess paint back into the bottle.
Next, add a thin line of pink paint above the "sip sip" (but not near the edge of the stencil), and use the squeegee to lightly pull the paint over the stencil. Again, make sure that all of the letters have been evenly covered, and scrape any excess paint back into the bottle.
Immediately pull the stencil away from the sign at a 45º angle. If your paint happened to start drying before you peel the stencil away, unfortunately some of the paint may come off with your stencil at the same time (see the "h" in the image above"). Try not to panic, and remove the rest of the stencil.
To wash your stencil so that it can be used again and again, first get the clipboard wet so your stencil doesn't stick to it. Place the stencil on the clipboard with the textured side up, and lightly rub the stencil under cold running water to remove all the paint.
Do not rub or scrub the adhesive side of the stencil, and NEVER use anything other than water to wash the stencils. To prevent the stencil from breaking down, don't ever leave the stencils to soak.
Remove the stencil from the clipboard and lay it down with the adhesive side up. While the stencil is still wet, place the carrier sheet onto the stencil so that the word “BACK” is readable. Hang or lay the stencil flat to dry completely.
If you have any areas that need touch-ups (like that "h"), grab a small detail paint brush and add a light coat of paint over the area(s). Let the paint dry completely.
Isn't this sign so fun? I love that I was able to use one of my favorite cut files as a stencil for this project! The sign looks hand-painted and so professional! I think it will look so cute hanging in a kitchen, displayed above a drink station, or sitting next to all of the drinks at a party.
I'd love to hear what you think about this project, or if you are interested in trying out reusable stencils. If you've made your own stenciled projects, I would love to see your creations! Share them on Instagram, Facebook, or leave a comment/photo on the project pin on Pinterest! #AFMCrafts
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