Making stencils to decorate customized cookies has never been easier. Create custom reusable screen stencils in 4 easy steps with the Ikonart Custom Stencil Making Kit!
I love decorating cookies but sometimes struggle with making the all look alike when I want to. Doodling is my jam for sure – even with icing – but having a pattern already in place on the cookie is a game changer. To be honest, I had a little fear that the stencil making progress would be difficult. So – I was overjoyed with the ease and fun in this project.
Emojis are such a great way to express ourselves so I thought I would do my first Ikonart project with them as the subject. the cookies came out SUPER cute (and delicious) and get this – the STENCIL is reusable. I saved them all to use to make something else with really soon. I can’t wait to show you How To Make Your Own Cookie Stencil with Ikonart
- Quick Start Guide
- Printed Inkjet Sample
- Finished Stencil Sample
- Inkjet Printer Film
- Laser Printer Film
- Ikonart Stencil Film + 2 Clear Exposure Sheets
- Exposure Stand + UV LED Light
- Ikonart Clipboard
- Ikonart Plastic Squeegee
- Coupon codes for free fonts and designs
Making the Stencil
Step One – Print Your Stencil
The very first thing to creating a custom stencil is to print (or doodle) your design. High quality printing in 100% black will give you the best film positive to block out the UV light. This really helps when it comes to washing out the stencil when it comes time. I actually doodled mine using a BLACK permanent marker and it worked great. I scanned it to create a free printable of the designs in case you want to use them!
The kit comes with amazing and awesome directions that have all of the tips and tricks for printing artwork.
Step Two – Expose Your Stencil
The next step in make your own cookie stencil is to expose your stencil. This requires created a stack of three pieces on the base of your stand. Place the blue Ikonart Stencil Film on first – texture side up. Next place your printed transparency on top of the film so that what you see is what you want your stencil to look like. This would matter if you had words and didn’t want them to be backwards. The last piece in the pile is the clear exposure sheet. Rub over them all to make sure the stencil sheet is tight against the transparency. Turn on the exposure light for 35 seconds when using the laser film.
Step Three – Rinse Out Your Stencil
Clip your stencil on to the clipboard that came in the kit (shiny side down) and take it to the sink. Run hot to very warm water over it until the mesh part of your design is COMPLETELY clear.
Hang your stencil to dry. It will take about 45 minutes to an hour. Stencil must be dry before moving forward.
Step Four – Post-Expose Your Stencil
The final step to finishing your stencil is to post-expose it. Place it back on the stand (texture side up) and turn the light on it for at least two minutes. This makes the stencil more durable so it will work better and be used over again.
If it easier for your project (like it is for this one) then cut the stencil into smaller parts.
Decorating the Cookies
Using a stencil to decorate cookies is a great way to get a custom designs. I loved this custom stencil made with Ikonart because it can be used two ways. The first use is to scrape the icing over the stencil and have that complete your cookie – giving it a stenciled appearance – which is very popular.
The second way to use the stencil is as a pattern to trace with royal icing. For this you, I still scraped the royal icing over the stencil but then went over the design with royal icing. You can see the difference in photo.
How to Ice a Cookie With a Stencil
- Remove the backing from the stencil.
- Put some icing on the cookie (NOT A LOT).
- Hold the stencil down with one hand to keep it in place. With the other hand (probably your dominant one) – hold the straight edge of the scraper at an angle and LIGHTLY sweep it across the top of the stencil.
- Hold on to both sides of the stencil and gently lift STRAIGHT UP.
For best results, the base coat of royal icing should be hardened (for at least 12 hours). You can also use royal frosting on a cookie with hardened fondant which is a faster method. For these cookies I used royal icing because I think it tastes better for a cookie.
PRO TIPS for Decorating Cookies with a Stencil
- Use THICK royal icing. If the icing is too thin, it will run under the stencil.
- Make sure your base icing or fondant is hard.
- Use a clean, DRY scraper.
- Go slowly. Rushing will most likely not get you a great result.
When you are all done, wash your stencils and return them to the backing so they can be used again on another project!
More Stencil Ideas
You can use the SAME stencils a second time to make this adorable birthday garland DIY!
Lindsay over at Artsy Fartsy Mama was here for the week and she made a stencil and a fabulous project too. Her Sip Sip Hooray sign is perfect for summer decor around the drink station.
Beth from Creatively Beth made a journal using an old map with the stencil she created. It is super fun and over on her blog for you!
Too busy to make this right away?! Pin it for later! Pin this project to your favorite craft board on Pinterest and it’ll be waiting for you when you’re ready.
I would really love to hear what you think about this stencil making idea! If you try it out, I would sure like to see it! Share on Instagram, Facebook, or leave a comment/photo on the project pin on Pinterest! #LauraKellyDesigns
This post contains affiliate links. Using links to these sites means I will earn a percentage of the purchase at no extra cost to you.
Cheers,
Laura