How to Make Stencils With Some Odd Girl Cut Files!

Hi, Oddies! Suzanne here with a tutorial on making reusable stencils with Some Odd Girl cut files! I’ve used the “Rectangle Background Cut File” to create custom backgrounds for some of my Some Odd Girl cards, and you can make them, too! One of my favorite things about this project is that you can use these stencils over and over instead of having to cut one out each time!

When you buy a cut file from Some Odd Girl Stamps, you also receive a super-helpful “How to Trace Your Cut Files” PDF document that walks you through the process. I’ll point out some of the highlights, and give you some tips on cutting the stencils.

The die cut machine that I use is a Silhouette Portrait, but if you’re using a different machine, you can definitely adapt this tutorial to work with the one that you have!

After you open your machine’s editing program and select the shape you want to use, you need to trace the shape:

Go to the “Trace” menu and click “Select Trace Area“, then use your mouse to click and drag over the shape. For this stencil, I’m not planning to edit the design other than changing the size, so I’m going to select “Trace“, because I want the inside shapes to be cut from the stencil, not just the outside border of the shape.

The red lines in the next picture show where the machine will cut. Now, you can change the size of the shape to fit the front of a card or the size you need for your project. (For the front of a card, I make the stencil 4.5 inches wide by 5.75 inches high so the pattern will cover the entire card front.)

Once you’ve figured out the size of your stencil, you’re ready to cut! I use the settings in the picture below to cut a stencil from a clear transparency sheet. You can also choose the “Double Cut” feature if you have trouble with the blade not cutting all the way through the sheet. Depending on which machine and the thickness of the transparency sheet you’re using, you may have to use different settings than these:

Once your stencil is cut, you’re ready to get creative! First, secure the stencil over your surface with some low tack tape. (I’m using washi tape and smooth white cardstock.) Next, apply ink through the stencil to make your background. I sponged the ink through the stencil with a makeup sponge, but you can use color mist, a foam brush, or whatever method you’d like to get the effect that you want!

When you’re done, clean off the stencil, let it dry, and it’s ready to use again! Here’s the card I made with the stenciled background and Some Odd Girl’s “Cookies N Milk” clear stamp set!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you enjoyed my tutorial, and I’d love to see what you make with your Some Odd Girl cut file stencils! You can upload your projects to our monthly Linky Party here on the Some Odd Girl blog (the theme is always ANY Some Odd Girl project) or share them with us in our Facebook group!

We’ll be back tomorrow with a new SPOTLIGHT, so watch this space, to see if you’ve won some free digital stamps! (Remember, sharing in the Linky Party is the ONLY way to get in on this action!)

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