How to Make a Reusable Stencil on your Cricut

Do you want to make reusable stencils with your Cricut, but you’re not sure how? In this tutorial, we'll show you step-by-step how to make a stencil on your Cricut that you can use again and again. Reusable stencils are a cost effective way to make multiple projects with the same design. We'll show you how to set up your design, cut and use your stencil.

Crystal shows us how to create a stencil with a very helpful hack for any loose pieces. Check out her video below.

To create our stencil, we will be using a roarsome dinosaur monogram SVG and a FREE Sans display font called Singo.

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Materials Needed for this Project

Design - Dinosaur Monogram SVG and the FREE Font Singo (we are using the Round Regular font)

Cricut machine - We will be using a Cricut Maker, but you can also use a Cricut Explore. Depending on the size of your design, you can create a stencil with a Cricut Joy.

Acetate - Cricut Foil acetate or clear plastic acetate sheet works great for your Cricut stencil

A frame

Cardboard - cut to the size of the insert for the frame, this is what we will be painting on

Acrylic or Glitter Paint - any color of your choice

Sponge dabber brush

Glue dots or masking tape - if you find that a temporary or repositionable adhesive spray works better for you, you are welcome to use that

After you have downloaded your files, you will need to install the font on your device.

Step 1 - Prepare the Reusable Stencil Design in Cricut Design Space

Before we can cut the design, we need to make a few adjustments. You can use the same method as Crystal in the video above, or follow along as we did and add “bridges” to the stencil.

Upload the SVG Design

When you have opened Cricut Design Space, upload your design to the canvas. Measure the width and height of your frame and decide how big you want the design to be.

To keep the ratio consistent, make certain that the Lock icon shows as locked in the top toolbar. We decided on a size of 22cm x 15cm for our design. We unlocked the Lock icon to change the width and height independently of each other.

Add your Text to the Design

Use the Text Tool on the left-side toolbar to add your text to the design. All of the fonts loaded to your device can be found under the System option in the Text Tool menu. Type in the name of the Singo font and then click on the font to apply it to your text.

Resize the text to fit within the monogram split. Next, we will add bridges to our text.

Create Bridges for the Reusable Stencil

Bridges help to create a solid design that doesn’t have any loose pieces. In this case, those loose pieces would be the spaces in the letters “a”, “r” and “o”.

You can add bridges to your reusable stencil design however you choose. The text will need to be ungrouped in order to add the bridges. Make sure that you are happy with the final text design, and then right click the text layer and select Ungroup.

Create your stencil bridges using the Shapes tool. Are you using the Cricut Design Space on your mobile device but don’t know where to find the tool? We’ve got you covered with a helpful tutorial on using the Shapes tool in the Cricut Design Space app.

We used the Oval shape to keep with the slightly rounded edges of the text. Resize the shapes and place where needed. We changed the color to make the bridges easier to see.

Select the letter “a” and its corresponding shape, and then click on the Combine button on the bottom right corner of the screen. Click on the Subtract option so that the shape cuts away that specific area, leaving a gap.

You can also use the Slice Tool to remove a small section of the letter, but this does require a few additional steps.

Repeat this process for each letter and their shape.

Select all of the individual letters, and then right click > Group. This will make it easier to keep the text organized.

Create one final bridge using the Square shape. This bridge needs to be placed where the feet of the triceratops meet the top half of the monogram split. If we don’t add this bridge, the gaps between the legs will be lost.

Create a Stencil Border

We are just about done creating our reusable stencil. Now, we need to create a border around the design. Using the Shapes tool on the left-side toolbar, add the Square shape.

Resize the shape so that it fits around the entire design with some space at the edges. Next, click on the Align tool in the top toolbar and select Send to Back to place it behind the dinosaur design.

Select everything on the canvas, and then click on the Align tool in the top toolbar. Select Center Horizontally and Center Vertically so the entire design is centered nicely.

Cut out the Design from the Stencil Border

Now, all we need to do is cut the design out from the square border and our reusable stencil will be ready to cut.

Once again, select everything on the canvas. Click on the Combine button on the bottom right corner of the screen, and then click on Exclude.

Our reusable dinosaur stencil is now ready for the next step!

Step 2 - Cut the Cricut Reusable Stencil

On the top right-hand corner, click on the green Make It button. In the next window you will be given a preview of the stencil and how it will cut on your mat. Click on the Continue button at the bottom right corner.

In the next window, click on Browse All Materials to open the material settings. In the search bar, type “acetate” and you will be given two choices. If you are using Cricut’s Foil Acetate, select that one. For any other type, select Acetate.

Follow the instructions on-screen by placing the acetate on the mat as seen on the screen. Then, insert your Fine Point Blade into cartridge B and upload your mat. Cricut Design Space will tell you when to press the “C” button to start cutting.

After cutting has been completed, don’t unload your mat just yet.

Depending on the material, you may need to cut a second time. Leave your mat in the machine and press the “C” icon again to cut a second time. If you unload your mat and try to reload for a second cut, it will not cut in the same place.

Step 3 - Paint with the Cricut Reusable Stencil

Weed out the stencil and put the pieces to one side. You can use these sections in other projects!

Use the glue dots, tape or repositionable adhesive on the back of the reusable stencil. Next, place the stencil on your cardboard and tape off the edges to prevent paint overflow.

Use the sponge to gently dab paint all over the stencil. You don’t want to use “brush-like” motions as this can disturb the stencil.

Allow to completely dry before removing the tape. If you find that your paper has warped, place it under some heavy books for a few hours.

Don't forget to wash off your stencil with soap and water. Finally, add your crafted design to your frame.

With reusable stencils, you can repeat designs without needing to recreate them each time! Stencils are great for adding designs to baked goods, card projects and much more. Create custom designs effortlessly with a little creative flair. We hope that you enjoyed learning how to make reusable stencils with your Cricut Maker.