How to keep a stencil in place??

Shari Veater
by Shari Veater
I am going to stencil some holiday signs, and am wondering if there is anyway to keep the stencil in place, besides using tape? Has anyone used maybe a spray adhesive to hold the stencil on? I am doing large signs with a lot of wording, so I don't want the stencil to move around. Thank you :)
  7 answers
  • Cheryl Gough Cheryl Gough on Aug 21, 2014
    Spray on stencil adhesive can be purchased at any craft store. It will temporarily hold the stencil in place.
    • See 1 previous
    • Sherry R Sherry R on Jun 11, 2018

      I have used the spray on adhesive and they work great, but leave a residue on my project. How do I remove the residue without damaging the project????

  • Teresa Mahnke Teresa Mahnke on Aug 21, 2014
    Yes, I used the spray on my last project (a wall) and it works great.
  • Shari Shari on Aug 21, 2014
    I did a lot of stenciling back in the 90s when it was popular then and I used adhesive made expressly for the purpose of holding stencils in place. Purchased it at either Joann's or Michael's on the aisle where all the stenciling supplies were sold. It did have to be reapplied every so often, depending on how many times you lifted and repositioned the stencil but it worked great then so I can only assume today's products are just as good.
    • Shari Veater Shari Veater on Aug 21, 2014
      Hey, same name :) I too did ALOT of stenciling back in the day, but never with alot of words, so needed some great advice ...thanks!
  • Wilma S. Wilma S. on Aug 22, 2014
    I normally use double sided tape, and depending what the surface is or orientation.
    • See 1 previous
    • Constance Million Constance Million on Jun 14, 2020

      I bought some heavy duty double sided "rubber" tape to stick some pvc backsplash/ceiling tiling. It didn't work very well for that project but have some large stencils to put on my little RV & would like to utilize what I already have, any suggestions?

  • Ruth Wolery Ruth Wolery on Aug 22, 2014
    I have done stenciling and yes I sprayed adhesive on the back and did it in sections (that I believe I bought at JoAnn's and it worked ok because it would have moved otherwise).
  • Ruth Wolery Ruth Wolery on Aug 22, 2014
    @Shari - you will do ok. How big is your stenciling project?
    • Shari Veater Shari Veater on Aug 22, 2014
      Ruth, the largest is 24x11, a Christmas saying...then 18x14 is an Ocean saying..I have never stenciled so many words on something and I am alittle intimadated by it!
  • 394409 394409 on Aug 22, 2014
    I've been told that painters tape works well. I actually have a friend who uses it and she says she wouldn't use anything else.
    • Shari Veater Shari Veater on Aug 22, 2014
      Jeve, I have used painters tape while doing a stencil border on a wall and it does work great :)