How To Reduce Bleed While Stenciling

www.cuttingedgestencils.com
In this video, Greg Swisher from Cutting Edge Stencils discusses the tips and tricks to reducing bleed or paint seepage on your next stenciling project. This is a "must watch" video for the DIY stenciler. Greg discusses wall preparation, stencil paints, contrast of colors and how to correctly use a stencil brush, a stencil roller and spray adhesive.
* M O R E * I N F O R M A T I O N *
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[@jerryporter4898]

Best video I’ve seen on how to use a stencil. I’ll be applying stencil on a historical site, probably a couple hundred feet on walls and ceiling.

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Wow, Thanks and good luck with your project!

[@Mrdlt_]

This was actually insanely helpful, thanks so much!!

[@davidt2433]

I am a beginner to this, so just wanted to say thank you so much for this clear and helpful video. No distracting music graphics. Just helpful advice. I can stencil with confidence now.

[@AhmedHan]

I was looking for a way to prevent stencil bleeding. This video helped me greatly. I will try your suggestions next time.

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

We're so happy it helped!! :)

[@theshop5331]

Watched several vids, yours is the best. Thanks for helping me out on my project.

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

That makes my day :) Thank you!

[@stefanieRibarra]

Thank you!! The first try it bleed horribly and then after watching your video I immediately went out to buy a roller just like yours and the results were perfect... so thank you so much!

[@DrCarlaSeleme]

Thank you for the time and energy you took to make this this terrific tutorial. I am doing my bathroom and it will look much better after watching your stencil video.

[@dzee3981]

Greaat video. Explains many things. Thanks.

[@shrineshrine389]

Hello, I am working with stencils in assemblage art. Many uneven surfaces. Some of your tips helped my greatly improve my results. Thank you! Toni

[@pvtashe]

I love you!!!! Your video is awesome. Stenciling has been driving me crazy. Thank you so much.

[@Northenstar13]

Great video. Very helpful. Thanks

[@gaynorsmith7680]

Thanks for sharing your expertise on stencilling, I’ve stencilled my patio but wasn’t to bothered about bleed. I’m now going to do my kitchen splash back. I want it crisp, your video has given me some great tips. ⭐️👍❤️

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Glad it was helpful! I just released a video today that is also about tile. Check it out!

[@jennib3930]

Great video!! I can't wait to go "paint crazy" over my new house!

[@MRWeast-hj9jb]

Excellent video, simple, very ez to understand....thanks

[@m.n.tarrint9187]

Truly helpful information. Thank you!

[@stephaniemyers9854]

Extremely helpful! I'm a first time DIY furniture finisher and I wanted to add a stencil to the top of my white table. I feel a little more confident I can do it now!

[@jannamakaeva1792]

+Hummingbird's Fury Thank you! Best of luck with your project :) Janna (Cutting Edge Stencils)

[@LaughingFirst]

Very helpful video, thanks!

[@jessemarkowitz1991]

Thanks this was very helpful!

[@T333TN]

SO informative, and encouraging! Great video; thank you!!!

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Thanks for watching!

[@annetempera1945]

Thank you! Lots of good pointers!

[@scrapsandthings768]

great tips, thanks!

[@VIncentSunflowers]

Excellent tutorial, Greg Swisher! Speaking from experience, your tips will prevent a lot of frustration. I would only add that if someone hasn't stenciled before, first try it on paper.

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Hi barrotceaver, Thank you for your compliments! That's what we hope to do with our videos, stenciling should not be frustrating rather it should rewarding, we always have fun when stenciling! Have a good one!

[@sonayan4444]

thank you very much....the first time when I did my walls, i did it with a simple sponge which I used for washing my plates and with simple base code colour, and it actually worked, but took to much time from me...now I'm going to do my bedroom the way you show....:*

[@joanmeeks7178]

Thank you great video.

[@Prodigalscribe]

I am so buying your stencils man!

[@samahnasser87]

Excellent instructions. You saved me a disaster on my wall !

[@andreaolson2757]

Thank you for the tips!

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Happy to help!

[@freedomthroughspirit]

Very helpful, thanks

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

You're welcome!

[@buniceb]

I'm excited to try this.

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Do it!

[@lunascraftyquest2369]

yasss folk art! I did a double wall acrylic mural with folk art & its cheap @walmart! Like he said it does dry fast so spray paint lightly with water every once in a while if used to do murals defiently if you blend!

[@carolcarmen3176]

Thank you for such a great video!! I learned a lot You're pretty awesome😊

[@BillizMuzic]

you avoid bleeding by first bleeding the stencil with your base color. by going over the stencil first you fill in all the holes where Ur paint would bleed. then go over with color you intend to use you can do this while taping for amazingly straight lines.

[@juliawitt3813]

Great video for a beginner.....tjanks so much for the information......

[@saherbabar4175]

very very helpful video....thank u so much :)

[@Blastfence1]

Excellent!

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Many thanks!

[@shsskoihaiful]

Very helpful! Thanks

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Glad it was helpful!

[@lisagordon6355]

Thanks so much

[@COLEEN322]

excellent thanks

[@charityloechel7369]

I usually use the same color paint as the wall and paint over my stencil very lightly 1st, wait till it drays usually only a couple minutes then go over the stencil again in the paint color I want my stencil and there is NO BLEEDING through at all.

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Hi Charity, That is a cool trick. This way any initial bleed is the matching base coat color. I learned that trick from an old time painter in the 80's when we were striping car dealerships on cinderblock walls. Thanks for the comment!

[@reginaschwartz8840]

Have you worked on textured walls with this trick and get same results?

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Hi Regina, Textured walls are not really stencil friendly. Depending on "how textured" the walls are will impact your result. You can try the method that Charity mentions above but don't expect a perfect result. You may want to select a forgiving pattern, something more organic and less geometric. Happy Stenciling!

[@sfheriford]

Lovers kiss in the city

[@BillizMuzic]

exactly

[@Jhonzification]

Thank you!

[@gmu2]

thanks for vid!!

[@downtown799]

man you are the best thank you so much

[@libbymeli864]

Thank you

[@jonwoodson7537]

Who else is here for a COVID project? LOL. Wonderfully informative tutorial. Thank you so much!

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Stenciling is a perfect project during COVID! So many people have taken this time to paint and stencil beautiful walls, floors, furniture etc! :) Glad you liked the video!

[@kennethcalimpong7919]

Thank you for the great tutorial, Aloha from Hawaii 😊

[@JohnSmith-qf3wr]

I love this

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Thank You!

[@leeshanchannel6653]

Thank you for showing us👏👏🌿💐🌿💐✅

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

My pleasure 😊

[@lesiaoliveira3308]

thank you

[@mgrano]

awesome vid, bro!

[@gregswisher2395]

Thanks Megan! And thanks for the Tweet ;)

[@jadaperez2169]

Very helpful, I was just trying to stencil onto a table and that thing bled like a stuck pig.

[@carrienifhoughlu892]

Thank you for sharing your to the point and precise tutorial. It’s the first time I’ve not had to turn volume down because of loud music or fast forward to get to the relevant part of video. Do you sell your stencils in Australia?

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Thanks very much! Appreciate it. Yes, we ship to Australia.

[@hannahrosenthal4407]

Thank you so much! My dad painted my walls pink and green. He did it with a sprayer or airbrush because I wanted them to fade into eachother (pink on the bottom with green on top). Since he did that my walls are pretty textured and difficult to use stencils on. This video really helped. I'm doing quotes and art designs on my walls. To anyone who is doing something similar I would recommend acrylic paint. If you mess up you can easily wipe it off with water. Very convenient.

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Hi Hanna, Thank you for your helpful tips!! Happy to hear that the video helped :)

[@sorin990]

how thick should a wall stencil be (the material) ???

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

sorin990 Other companies do 7 mil and we do 12 mil. But it all varies! Hope this helps!

[@sorin990]

CuttingEdgeStencils millimeters ? ....

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

sorin990 No, it's mil which is a unit of length equal to one thousandth (10−3) of an inch (0.0254 millimeter). hope this helps!

[@jmmacb03]

Wow. So much great information in 10 mins! I want to make the wall opposite from the TV an accent wall. I was really surprised at how great the colour green is-might use it and the heck with tone on tone! Hehe. Cheers, from Toronto.

[@jannamakaeva1792]

+jmmacb03 Thank you! Best of luck with your project! ~Janna (Cutting Edge Stencils)

[@kristenmiller6744]

Metallic paint such as copper or gold are gorgeous! You can tone them down with dabbing paint color in with it you can Google metallic paint stenciling the effects are stunning

[@PhienixxStJames]

This was what I was looking for. A simple way, that doesn’t require “hodgepodge” or adding something else.

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Thank you! :)

[@RonitIL]

Hi, I want to stencil my dresser top, should that bleed, since its not upright? Secondly, how do i know how much paint i need to load off the brush/roller?

[@wvgsyoutubechannel7630]

Nice

[@khonthainaidc]

Clearly said 👏 👏 👏

[@jackreed954]

I think the spray adhesive is going to do the trick for me. I'm trying to do a stencil on 2 doors of a kitchen cabinet to give an etched glass look to the 2 panes. I have had to wash it off twice, and still get bleed underneath. Glass is unforgiving, and looks awful when you get that under bleed happening.

[@joe-annataylor4159]

Apparently, I have been stenciling improperly. Excellent how-to video, and so helpful!! Learned so much, and now to get off the very old wallpaper!! I wonder if there is an easier way to remove 100+ year wallpaper????

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Thank You! As far as the wallpaper, sometimes you can rent a steamer at the paint store and that makes very quick work of old stubborn paper.

[@hlui1007_]

Very helpful video, Greg! Where did you get that stencil? Also, do you have any videos on how to ensure proper patterning when repeating the stencil across the wall?

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Hi Helen. Thanks for the questions. We sell the stencil at Cutting Edge Stencils. Here is a link. www.cuttingedgestencils.com/allover-stencil.html We don't have a specific video for stencil alignment but it is included in quite a few of our tutorials such as "How To Stencil A Feature Wall" and "Chevron Stencil Tips and Tricks". Here are the links. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rp3dlImwhcihfZo kzbin.info/www/bejne/pZapnqxuoLVgZs0

[@kristenmiller6744]

These tutorials are great and I wanna thank you very much. They don't address any kind of eco-friendly habits such as don't use plastic plates or paper towels. Use reusable household items such as cookie trays or plates. The paint comes right off. and when you off load the paint you can do it onto a piece of rustic wood to reuse for another project or offload it back on to the plate where the paint is. Less wasted paint. And use a towel instead of a paper towel that can be washed and reused.

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Hi Kristen, we're glad you like this tutorial! We also want to thank you for sharing your eco-friendly tips!

[@davisnneal]

Thanks for the great tips. Helped a lot. Just wondering how big do some of the stencils get? I have a gooseneck trailer I painted last year and looks nice. I would love to put a nice stencil design on top of that. Just most of the stencil I've seen are kinds small and I worry about being a newbie and removing and having to move it over and over again ever couple of feet.

[@jannamakaeva1792]

Hi, glad you liked the video! The stencils are usually 24" wide and 35-40" tall, which makes the project go faster than the small stencils that you have to move and align a lot! Hope this helps! ~ Janna from cuttingedgestencils . com

[@lindseyspringer9301]

If you use acrylic paint, is there a way to seal it after it dries?

[@chattykathie7129]

Can u paint with spray paint

[@ssjliano9971]

Thanks so much I’m using these steps for clothes

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

You're Welcome!

[@reginaschwartz8840]

My walls are not smooth, there are textured. I love to use the athena allover stencil, I am in love with it, I am not a big fan of tree branches as you suggested. Any advice how to get the best results or should I just skip it?. I like to use similar designs for all my rooms.

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Hi Regina, Without seeing your walls is hard to say. If you have some of the wall color you could stencil an inconspicuous area to test the texture and always paint over it if it doesn't work out. Just use a relatively dry roller or brush. You may be able to get the look you want. Best!

[@2manycatsforadime]

spray or roll a clear first, that will seal the edges. Then once dry spray roll or brush your color coat.

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Thant works too!

[@nidhishah6478]

Any Tips on how to stencil on Shiplap? What kind of paint is better for stained ShipLap - Chalk Paint or some other? Any prep work necessary?

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Hi Nidhi. That could be tricky but perhaps starting at the top of the stencil and working your way down, bending the stencil into the contours as you go. Chalk paint has excellent adhesion so it could be a great choice. Always do a test first though! Good Luck!

[@wru-loops]

DWAI

[@abfvdga]

what is the name of this stencil? it looks great

[@gregswisher2395]

Thanks, it's called Trellis.

[@sactowngold1]

Greg, Do you have a tutorial teaching how to use one stencil design overlapped in a repeated fashion accross a large wall. I like this but am clueless. Do you have a retail store someplace also? GracieRhae, Ut.

[@kristenmiller6744]

www.cuttingedgestencils.com/how-to-stencil-videos.html#feature

[@carrienifhoughlu892]

Do you use a dry hd foam roller?

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Hi, We sell the dense foam rollers and yes, it should be pretty dry. You do that by quickly offloading the roller on a paper towel. Good Luck!

[@tonyoltean09]

Was hoping to see the stencils connected

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Hi, Many of our other videos feature alignment tips and tricks! Check our channel! Thanks

[@frankramirez728]

Thank you for this video, but I have a quick question. I make my own designs and and turn them into stencils but the only thing I have to paint with is Krylon spray paint cans and Design Master spray paint cans. Would that be good enough or would that not look as good?

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Hi Frank. You could have a good result depending on the material you use but you would need to look out for the paint blowing under the stencil and giving you a blurry edge. Maybe use spray adhesive. Also, the smell could kill you so wear a respirator! Good Luck!

[@frankramirez728]

Appreciate the advice, I went out to get some spray adhesive and it worked amazingly. Also, you've earned a new subscriber. Have a great day and keep up the good videos.

[@joliefazio67]

Thank you. Lots of bleeding on my first project. I think I am using the wrong paint. Can you ever just redo an area you screw up on or does that a bigger mess to fix?

[@jannamakaeva1792]

Hi Jolie, Some paints are more watery than others. Yes, you can simply paint over an area using your base paint, let it fully dry and then re-stencil. Make sure you are using correct roller, we recommend only dense foam rollers for stenciling, any other roller will cause paint bleed. Feel free to call us at 201-828-9146 if you need more help!

[@joliefazio67]

Janna Makaeva Thank you so much. It looks pretty darn good but definitely not seepage free!

[@ihramhomelights9168]

Hi sir. Please tell me about right paint for fiber while stencilling

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Hi! When stenciling, we recommend using a Dense Foam Roller and paint in a Flat sheen. This combination provides the best coverage and reduces your chance of stencil seepage.

[@ihramhomelights9168]

@@CuttingEdgeStencils thanks sir

[@chelsiemiracle5884]

can you use a small nozzle paint sprayer?

[@jannamakaeva1792]

+Chelsie Miracle We usually don't recommend using any spray paint as it's difficult to control and get good results. it intends to prop, the coverage is uneven and there is overspray. Of course if you're doing a small scale outdoor project where the quality of the print is not very important then spray paint is probably OK to use. But usually it's much better and easier with the dense foam roller and either acrylic or latex paint. Hope this helps! ~Janna

[@ivetacirule4808]

Great video! But I still have 2 questions.. 1. Do I have to apply the stencil adhesive every time before I place it on the wall or just once? 2. I think that I would feel more comfortable using a foam pouncer for such project. Do you think it will work and what paint should I use? :) Thanks!!

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Hi Iveta, You apply the spray adhesive when necessary. You may get 4 or 5 repeats out of an application or maybe more like 10. It varies so apply when it is not holding on the wall. As far as the foam pouncer goes, we don't really like them. They can sometimes push the paint under the stencil. But do a test. There are many ways to stencil. Thanks!

[@illmatic33]

What's the best apparatus to apply the paint. Makeup sponge, brush or flat roller?

[@jannamakaeva1792]

The best tool is dense foam roller. Sold in most hardware stores, it has a dense, not soft, foam and rounded ends.

[@jannamakaeva1792]

It actually resembles makeup sponge in texture!

[@illmatic33]

Janna Makaeva I know them. :-)

[@tavneetkaur8693]

Don Powell ...

[@illmatic33]

Si?

[@happylife1691]

Can I use stencil cream

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

You can definitely use stencil cream!

[@JonathanLeland]

The video down plays bleeding, however this is a serious concern.

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

It just takes some practice. If your surface is smooth, and your brush or roller is not overloaded, and you use some spray adhesive it looks great. And using flat paint is important.

[@bushbosh]

I am now living for a while in Jordan "middle east" and would like to buy some your stencils for my new house. do you ship overseas?

[@jannamakaeva1792]

Yes! We ship worldwide. You can place on order on cuttingedgestencils . com Thank you! ~Janna

[@ahmedmoode7827]

اللهم صل وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم تسليما كثيرا

[@yunibarrios]

do you need to wait until the paint dries before you reposition the stencil again?

[@jannamakaeva1792]

+Yuni Barrios , no you really don't need to wait. if you're using a flat paint as we recommend, and also stenciling over a flat base coat paint, it will dry almost immediately and no waiting is needed. Flat paint base coat is very porous and quickly absorbs the paint. Hope this helps, Janna

[@yunibarrios]

my wall is already painted with a SemiGloss paint. I was planning on using an acrylic paint or chalk paint. What do you think now? And thanks for your answer. :)

[@jannamakaeva1792]

+Yuni Barrios with semigloss paint you might get a little paint smudging. But it's still possible and do-able, but you might want to wait a little before re-positioning your stencil. Semi-gloss paint is less porous and doesn't absorb paint as quickly as flat one. Stenciling with acrylic paint is great, it's my favorite stencil paint. Don't know about chalk paint, as it's more for furniture, but many people use it for stencils as well.

[@yunibarrios]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR ANSWERS. :)

[@jannamakaeva1792]

+Yuni Barrios My pleasure :) Best of luck with your project!

[@313Valentine]

What about satin paints?

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Hi! We don't recommend using Satin paint for stenciling because it has a higher chance of leaking under the stencil.

[@dennisharold5030]

do it yourself , go to woodprix page and learn how .

[@amandaasda6932]

I just did my white smooth walls and the result was horrible the black paint under the stencil bleed all over. Stenciling is not for everyone you got to have a good technic and a lot of patience, this was my first and last time stenciling my walls, this video is great but I rather wallpaper.

[@alecfleming373]

Banksy?!

[@ashleywright8686]

Great Video! 👍🏻 #newsubscriber

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Thanks Emma! :) Enjoy!

[@iolite2]

No bleeding with Mod Podge, my friend.

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Thanks for the tip!

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

DISCOUNT CODE: KZbin10 & get 10% off your stencil. Cutting Edge Stencils has the BEST, high-quality stencils that can be used on any surface! Check out all of our easy to use stencils here: www.cuttingedgestencils.com/

[@esat189]

It will not take a year to do a wall with a brush..... if you use the PROPER brush. This teeny tiny brushes will take a Mille ium. A brush can also give you color shade variations or you can mix colors for highlight etc. Folk art pai t is lesser quality. I did this professionally. Folk art is good for shallow traffic or usage spaces. On walls that need to be washed not reccmended

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Thanks for the advice!

[@carolf4413]

This doesn't really help when you're stenciling a concrete block wall. They will never be smooth.

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Yes, textured surfaces can be very hard to stencil.

[@NikitaAnanjev]

hhh this finger up killing me=)) 6-30min - 6 ,50m

[@merwanyavuz4121]

why do people use stencil adhesive

[@aleesiamcnarland9865]

adhesive is helpful on corners and ceilings and it reduces the amount of bleeding

[@mromneyobama]

dude you got to tape the stencil on all sides.

[@kokalody1982]

no he should apply the tape on one side only. some put tape beneath the stencil to mark the wall only not to stick the stencil 😊

[@kristenmiller6744]

The stencil brush flattens the stencil as you go. Or as he says in the tutorial, you can use an adhesive on the back of the stencil let it dry then use it

[@korinanoble7895]

When giving advice and tips it can be off-putting when you speak to your audience in a demeaning manner, making people feel stupid; as if they should already know the information you are presenting.

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

Hi Korina, Thanks for the advice. It certainly wasn't my intention and I'll do my best to not come across that way in future videos. As fate has it, most of our new videos have no speaking in them. Just beautiful stenciling :)

[@korinanoble7895]

It certainly was not that the information wasn't useful :) speaking to an audience is a difficult task for anyone. Thank you for not lashing back and taking the constructive criticism so well. People become offended so easily now-a-days.

[@maxinef6654]

It didn't come across that way to me at all. I felt that he was very helpful.

[@QP23]

Korina, seems you are the one that took offense so easily this time. He was reassuring us not to worry so much, but if you are the kind to worry, here's the solution.

[@LynnSullivan55]

Yeah, I’m with Maxine. I thought the video was full of great information, well presented.

[@lili-lu5kg]

Thank you

[@CuttingEdgeStencils]

You're welcome