Stencil a Men's Tie

Prep your space
Spread newspaper or butcher paper on a table to create a working area.

Choose your style
A cotton or wool tie gives the best results. You can stencil over a solid color, or it might be fun to stencil over a pattern, such as stripes or polka dots. Let your creativity lead the way. Lay the tie flat on your work surface.

Place the stencil
Download the anchor stencil, and use a knife to prepare the stencil.
 
Choose a small stencil design that fits on the tie, or a larger design that extends past the tie’s edges for a bold or abstract look. Pick your stencil and spray a light mist of adhesive on the back. Let the adhesive dry 30 to 60 seconds, and then place the stencil on the tie where you would like the design to appear. If you prefer, you can position the stencil with masking tape.

Start painting
Stencil1 Sprayers are ideal for this project, since they apply pigment lightly and evenly. The metallic sprays might add an element of fun to your project, but it’s up to you, designer. (You could also use a stencil brush and fabric paint as an alternative to spray pigments, but we opted for the sprayed look.)
 
Once you’ve chosen your color(s), cover any areas outside the stencil with scrap paper to avoid overspray, and tape down the edges with masking tape. Spray paints find their way under the paper if you do not tape it well.
Holding the sprayer 6 to 8 in/15 to 20 cm away at a 45-degree angle, spray in a sweeping motion. Repeat until the design area is filled with paint and the color is the intensity you desire.

Clean up
Lift the stencil, taking care to keep it horizontal to your work to avoid spilling the excess ink off the stencil and onto your beautiful project. Wipe the stencil off with a slightly damp cloth, and dry flat.

Heat treat, meet and greet
Once the ink is dry, heat seal it by pressing it with an iron on medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Then tie one on, you dapper thing!

This project is excerpted with permission from "Stencil Style 101: More Than 20 Reusable Fashion Stencils with Step-by-Step Project Instructions" by Ed Roth and published by Chronicle Books.