This Christmas try making your own holiday themed stencils for your do it yourself projects. The advantage of using them is that they are reusable and highly versatile. You can use them for any craft such as spray painting posters or creating coloring sheets for children. On this how to make Christmas stencils page, you will learn how to construct your own stencil and use it for your needs.

Although this tutorial is suitable for all skill levels, you will need basic knowledge of graphics. To perform it, you will need an image editor such as Adobe Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro or Gimp. The examples here were created using Photoshop CS2. You will use the program to transform a Christmas image into a stencil. It should take anywhere between 30 to 45 minutes to finish this how to in its entirety.

You will start by transforming an image into a flat black and white graphic by using levels and a filter. After that, you may need to tweak the picture with the paintbrush and eraser tool. Later on, the article demonstrates how to create a physical stencil out of cardboard or sheets of acetate. Then, you can finish by painting with the stencil or making craft cutouts.

Depending on what you plan to do with your stencil once it is done, you may add or delete the materials that you don't need. If you will make paper cut outs, you don't need the paint and sponge brushes. Conversely, if you are going to use the stencil as a paint guide, you won't need the scissors or pencil.

• Photo editing software
• Clear acetate sheet or thin cardboard
• Masking tape
• Pencil
• Paints
• Scissors
• Sponge brushes
• Printer paper
• X-acto knife
• Cutting board or plywood
• Fine sandpaper

Your first task is to find a photograph or graphic to use. Of course, you could skip this step all together and use coloring pages instead. Usually, these are already in a format that works well for stencils. The Web is filled with free craft sites that allow you to print out their coloring pages for private use. If you do decide to use a finished graphic, skip to step 3. Otherwise, if you use a photograph, you will need to make it into a usable black and white image with the following process.

1. Use the Creative Commons site to make a search for Christmas images that you may be allowed to use.
2. Always check for copyright restrictions.
3. Be sure to use a picture that is large enough for the final design. If the size is under 500 x 500 pixels, it may be too small to be effective.
4. Now, that you have found a proper picture, you can turn it into a flat graphic to use as a guide for your stencil.
5. Open your image.
6. Go to Image -> Adjustments -> Threshold.
7. Move the indicator to the left to add more white or to the right to add more black.
8. Evaluate the result to see where you may need to add details. You want to have black in the areas that define the look of the object. For example, Santa's beard, hat, nose and glasses would be features that should be in black. Remember these are the parts that will be removed.
9. Use File -> Print With Preview to make sure your picture fits on the printable page.
10. If it isn't the right size, you can use the adjustment arrows to make it fit or change the dimensions in Image -> Image Size.
11. Print it out.

In this final step, you will actually create the physical stencil out of thin cardboard such as recycled cereal or pizza boxes. However, if you want the stencil to last a long time, you should create it from acetate sheets instead. Unfortunately, cardboard wears down after many uses, and it is barely usable when working with paint.

1. Tape your print out securely to the back of your clear acetate sheet or to the front of your cardboard.
2. Now, you need to move to your work surface. The X-acto knife will pierce through the materials and scar whatever is underneath. For that reason, you should cover your table with a scrap piece of plywood or an actual craft cutting board.
3. Start from the top and work your way down. Make sure to keep your fingers at the top of the sheet. Never place them in the line of the sharp blade.
4. Cut out the small areas first then move to the larger sections.
5. Once you are done, go over any rough edges with the sandpaper.

• Painting: For those who want to paint, you need to attach your stencil to the surface you wish to paint with masking tape. Place your hand down firmly near the area you are painting to make sure that the stencil edges remain flat. Load your brush with an even amount of paint then tap the color over the open spaces. Be especially careful along the edges so that the paint doesn't bleed under the stencil.

• Cut Outs: To do a cut out, simply tape it down to your paper and trace out the shape with a pencil. Once you are done, you can cut it out.

Note: You can buy plywood at hardware stores such as Lowe's and Home Depot. Clear acetate can be found at craft stores like Michaels and Jo-Ann Fabrics.