Technique Tutorial: Stencil with Sharpie

I've been very remiss with tutorials lately - I have them in my head, but just haven't gotten around to posting them! In order to get back on the horse, here's a quick one for a really fun and versatile technique: stenciling with Sharpies and doilies!

What you'll need: a paper doily, a Sharpie, something to stencil on (I'm using some cardstock, but you can do this with anything that Sharpie will stick to).

Step 1: Place your doily on the surface you'd like to stencil. Hold it down firmly (I find this easier than taping, especially for intricate doilies that don't have good taping spots), and begin to color in the open spaces. For larger spaces, trace around the outside of the shape, then fill in the center. Press lightly with the Sharpie to fill in small holes.

You can lift up to check your progress, if you'd like (just use what you've filled in as a guide to set it back down in the proper spot) - on porous materials like paper, the bleed of the sharpie gives the final image a really pretty, soft quality.

Step 2: Continue until you've filled in all of the open spaces.

Step 3: Lift your doily away, and you're done! I told you it was simple!

For a different look, you can also trace a line around the outside of the doily. I think this gives the pattern a slightly lacier feel.

That's all there is to it! I'll be back this afternoon to share a project that I made this weekend using this technique.