Choosing a shape for stenciling on paper
Look for leaves with fairly broad openings. Gather smooth card, a small sponge, low-tack tape, scrap paper and two shades of water-based paint suitable for paper.
Stenciling on paper with a clean edge
Try the design on the spare strip first. If an edge looks jagged where a fibre has lifted, compare it with a print on the other side of the card. If a puddle spreads into the silhouette, try again with less paint on the sponge.
Set the sprig in position
Lay the open card on a clean sheet of scrap paper. Position the motif so that the stem starts in a corner and the leaves point towards the middle. Test the tape on an offcut to check that it peels away without lifting the surface. Tape down two opposite sides of the stencil. Cover any openings you want to keep blank with another scrap.
Build colour a few dabs at a time
Put a small amount of green paint on a palette. Touch the flat side of the sponge to the paint and dab it several times on scrap paper. When the marks look light, dab straight down over the sprig. Lift your hand between dabs to avoid shifting the edges. Let the first pass dry as directed on the paint label. You can then deepen just the base of a few leaves with the second shade.
Lift, clean and print again
Hold one edge steady, release the tape on the opposite edge and lift the stencil cleanly away without dragging it across the print. Turn it over on a fresh sheet of scrap. Any paint left underneath could mark the next card. Clean it according to the paint instructions and dry it before laying it down again. Once the first sprig is dry, turn the motif and print another beside it. For a regular border, measure between the two stems and make light pencil marks to guide subsequent repeats.
Your test is ready when the tip of every leaf is clear and the second sprig has no halo. Keep the strip with your colours as a reference for the next card.
If two paints with similar names leave different colours, read the colour code on the label before you repeat the print.
Stencil Warehouse guide to applying a stencil