If it isn’t obvious by now, we love stencils. Whether you are adding personality to your home, celebrating a special occasion or even using them to advertise for your business- stencils are the perfect tool! The potential uses of stencils are practically endless and allow you to take any design and apply it to many different spaces, surfaces and projects.
Whether you are a professional designer or a DIY kind of person, you will often be faced with the question of what kind of stencil to use. While there are so many types of stencils to choose from, your most common choice will come down to this: should you choose a single-use or reusable stencil? Some of you may wonder what the difference is or how to decide which is best for your project- and we are here to help guide you through that process!
For starters, deciding which type of stencil to choose will depend entirely on how and how often you want to use it. There are advantages to each type of stencil- and hopefully this blog will help you decide works best for you and your unique crafting style. Before we decide which kind, let’s dive into why we love stencils to begin with!
Why Stencils Are So Useful
Stencils make crafting doable for any and every skill level. Whether you are a professional painter or stenciling just for fun, a stencil can help you to take your design to the next level without the time and stress of free-handing. Stencils do the work for you by giving you a professional and consistent look every time!
Stencils allow anyone to create a beautiful piece of decor- whether it is for your own home or a present for friends and family. We love seeing the crafts our clients create and are constantly amazed by the unlimited possibilities. Below, you can see an example of one of our stencils being used on a wooden board. Whether it is a simple single design or a patterned multi-stencil creation, the design possibilities are endless and beyond beautiful.
While it is often said that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, we are strong believers that it is actually stencils! And trust us when we say that doesn’t just apply to girls- everyone loves stencils! If you don’t believe us that there is a stencil for everyone, take a look at our incredible selection. Pick a stencil and give it a try- we promise you won’t be disappointed!
Reusable Stencil Material
As promised, we want to share with each of you wonderful readers what these “reusable” and “single-use” phrases actually mean. Reusable stencils are exactly what they sound like: stencils you can use over and over again. We here at WallCutz choose to create our stencils using a 10milimmeter mylar which is a reusable stencil material. Why, you might ask? Here are just a few of the advantages of reusable stencils and why they are our personal favorites!
- Cost-effective: Since you can use your reusable stencils as much as you want, you will easily get your money’s worth and then some. We can’t tell you how many times we made a project and loved it so much, we made more to share! And this way, you already have almost everything you need to do so.
- Designed to last: Reusable stencil materials are much more durable than single-use stencils, meaning you can use them again and again with little risk of tearing. These stencils are designed to be easy to use, easy to clean and easy to store until you need to use it again.
- Great for branding: If you own a business and have a logo or tagline you want to put up everywhere in your store, reusable stencil materials can make that happen. So whether you are branding or gifting, these stencils go a long way.
One of our favorite examples of a classic reusable stencil is our Christmas tree collection. You can add some holiday festivity in a variety of ways each year with the same great stencils. Create a gift, decorate a stocking or make the perfect Christmas sweater- or do all three! That is the beauty of reusable stencils.
While we can go on and on about reusable stencils, the responsible stencilers in us must also admit that there some disadvantages to reusable stencils:
- Less flexible: Since reusable stencil materials are built to last, they are not as flimsy or flexible as their single-use counterparts. For all of those creative surfaces we mentioned, you may have a harder time applying these stencils to the curved or uniquely shaped canvases.
- No adhesive back: If you have never used a single-use stencil, it is important to note they typically have an adhesive side so they can easily stick to the surface you’re working on. Reusable stencils do not have this sticky side and will need to be taped down or sprayed with adhesive. A little less convenient and leaves for some extra cleanup.
Single-Use Stencils
Now although we may be biased, we can also sing praises to single-use stencils. Let’s be honest- we love all stencils! These types of stencils are designed to only be used once, but give an excellent and clean design when you do use them. Here are a couple of the advantages and reasons that we love these kinds of stencils:
- More versatile: As mentioned above, these single- use stencils have the flexibility that reusable stencils lack. They are more pliable and can be molded to perfectly fit where you need them. What you lose in reusability you gain in precision and versatility.
- Adhesive back: If you are a fan of an easy peel off and stick technique, these are your winners! Thanks to its adhesive back, single-use stencils can easily be applied to any surface and maintain crisp lines on your designs without having to tape or spray down.
Of course, the biggest drawback to single-use stencils is they can only be used once. At times, that may be all you need. If you have a unique design that will only need to be used once, single-use stencils are a great choice. Because its material is so thin, it is easy to break once you try to peel it off the surface you first applied it on- so remember with these, it is a one and done mentality.
Find The Right Stencil For You!
So to wrap up this blog, we will leave you with one last question- why even bother having two types of stencils? Some stencils are designed to work best with a certain medium or surface material, giving you options. Reusable and single-use stencils both have their own best use situations, and the variety makes the possibilities for stenciling projects infinite!
While we have shared our pros and cons list, we encourage you to do your research and find exactly the right type of stencil for the project you have in mind. Given all the available stencils WallCutz offers, you’re bound to find a stencil that is perfect for your next design project.
We love sharing our ideas with you- and love to hear from each of you in the comments about what you prefer on the topic we tackle! So tell us: are you a single-use 'stenciler' or a reusable kind of crafter? We are certain that no matter the answer, we have lots of stencils for you!
Sandra Hennessey - May 12, 2021
Patricia Brown - May 12, 2021
Dinah Thomas - May 11, 2021
Connie Hardin - May 11, 2021
Kathryn Marr - May 11, 2021
Valerie Parrott - May 11, 2021
“Stencils are a girls Best Friend”…I think we need to make a tee shirt with that on it (maybe we could use a single use stencil on that on😀). I like this blog and how it talks about both types of stencils. Honestly I am alittle lazy and prefer reusable stencils. I like the cost effectiveness of them as well as the “Green” aspect of less waste. The majority of stencil I do are with reusable. However, I do have a cutting machine and I do recognize the importance of single use stencils. Especially for personalizing an item. Wrapping up my comment here, let me just say that I am definitely team reusable.
Bobbie Bohr - May 11, 2021
I found wallcuts right around last Christmas. Wanted to try them and I love them. Can’t wait till I can get them all. I’ve placed several orders and just placed another one last night. The great thing is you can do whatever you want. Endless possibilities, and you can mix them up. I’m so glad I found wallcutz!!!
Donna stark - May 11, 2021
Perfectly blog. I would always prefer reusable stencils over one time use. I made the mistake of not reading and buying a cardboard type stencil and it horrible. As for the kind that have the sticky back that people use chalk paste with, for myself I don’t feel I would have control over not making a complete mess with the paste.
Wallcutz stencils and customer service is exceptional.
Gail - May 11, 2021
Cathy Coble - May 11, 2021
Laura Wegner - May 11, 2021
Melanie Behunin - May 11, 2021
I love reusable stencils. I love combining them and seeing how they inspire me. Particularly the perfect lettering.
Debra Garnett - May 11, 2021
Alma S - May 11, 2021
I can t tell you enough how much I love your stencils. I have learned so much from the wallcutz group too! I have purchased so many stencils that my mind goes crazy at night with so many ideas 🤣. Seriously…. stencils keep up at night!!! ♥️
( I say that lovingly 🥰)
Thank you for your great quality … you are worth every cent I have spent!
-Alma Soto
Sheila Almon - May 11, 2021
Deb King - May 11, 2021
Tara Johnson - May 11, 2021
I just recently purchased a lot of stencils from Wall Cuts and I’m in love! I have a small craft business and for a few years have used my cricut machine which made it very costly to only be able to use the vinyl one time and have to throw it away especially for my big projects. However I think offering both kind will be awesome, I no longer will have to try to figure out the measurements and worry about the cost of a big roll of materials when you do all the work for me on that end. Thank you!
Kim Butt - May 11, 2021
I Love WallCutz stencils because it’s a small family business, and the quality is outmatched. I regularly use them multiple times a week, so for me, a one use stencil wouldn’t work without being extremely costly. In a sense, your small family business keeps mine going!
Mona - May 11, 2021
It’s taken some time to get the hang of it and the FB community board is awesome and helpful. Thanks everyone!!
Dinah Clark - May 11, 2021
Jess Bowne - May 11, 2021
My FAVORITE thing about WallCutz stencils is “made in the USA” AND the small family business. I always prefer to buy/support local so I am grateful I found this amazing company. I absolutely love that they also can make custom stencils for us! Great customer service!!
Rhonda Jenkins - May 11, 2021
carrie anderson - May 11, 2021
Julie A Andrews - May 11, 2021
Rhonda Guenther Clarkson - May 11, 2021
Jane - May 11, 2021
Debby Halter - May 11, 2021
Kim Carter - May 11, 2021
Donna Mayer - May 11, 2021
Linda - May 11, 2021
Laurie - May 11, 2021
Lisa page - May 11, 2021
I use reusable only. I love to mix and match the diffrent stencils to create your own style and brand. I love wallcutz stencils. They are durable. The bundles are great for creating one of a kind pieces. The possibilites are endless. Keep on stenciling 😁
Karen Marino - May 11, 2021
Karen Marino - May 11, 2021
Sandra Butler - May 11, 2021
As someone who uses both types I can make arguments for both. The one and done are great for custom designs but are costly if they are the only ones being used. I have
purchased several stencils from other companies but they aren’t as high quality as Wallcutz and that is not only a time saver but also a financial investment that pays in
the long run.
Jill - May 11, 2021
Reba Welch - May 11, 2021
Allie Kailey - May 11, 2021
My ultimate goal is to purchase several letter stencils in different sizes. Oh the fun and creativity!!!