There are online sites where you can download free wall stencils on your printer, that are just as beautiful as the store-bought ones. And you are not limited by the selection in one or two stores; you can search several sites to find the wall stencil you like, without ever leaving home!
First, you must get acetate sheets to print the stencils on. They can be printed on paper, but you have to be very careful when you stencil with delicate paper. Acetate sheets are easy to find; they are just sheets of thin plastic. You can find them at any craft store. But, if you don't have a craft store near you, go to the nearest stationery, chain drug-store, or office-supply store, like Staples or Office Depot, and buy "transparencies", which are just acetate sheets.
Very important: make sure you buy the acetate or transparencies for the type of printer you have laser or ink-jet, it should say on the package. If you get the wrong kind for your printer, it can fail to print or, more importantly, the sheet can get jammed in the printer, damaging your printer! When you print the stencil on the acetate, an Exacto or craft knife is best to cut out the pattern. Here are some great websites for downloading and printing free wall stencils:
Free Stencils - "Spraypaintstencils"
Not only does this site offer hundreds of stencils in 34 different categories: animals, flowers people, zodiac signs, and letter fonts, to name a few, but there are also tutorials on making your own custom stencils. This is an excellent place to start for wall stencils.
Free Stencils - "Free-stencilingpatterns"
Lots of unusual free wall stencils to print out. In order to get to the free patterns, you go to this page and give your first name and email address to be directed to the free wall stencil patterns.
More Sites for Free Downloadable Wall Stencils:
About's painting guide - "Painting.about"
Buckingham Stencils - "Buckinghamstencils"
Warning: Wall stenciling can be addictive. If you lose control, you'll start stenciling everything from furniture to clothing, to cloth napkins, all of which are possible and gorgeous with the right paints.
