How To Make A Custom Tattoo Design Stencil

Tattoos are trendy and stylish. This art form has become a regular part of today's generation's lifestyle and fashion. But before having a regular tattoos applied to your skin, you ought to have a look at some custom tattoo designs. Unlike regular designs, custom tattoos are unique and signify something/ someone special or important in your life. After all they are not called 'custom tattoos' for nothing.

Most tattoo hobbyists and enthusiasts have lots of tattoo ideas going on in their minds. More often than not, these ideas are either too many or too complex to interpret them in one single design. So, to make things a lot easier and to be fully satisfied, people turn to custom tattoo designs created for them and make their own stencil.

Yes! You can make your own stencil and it is a lot of fun. Creating a personalized design for your body gives you freedom to choose the location, the theme and the color of the tattoo. Of course, before you start making your design, you need to find inspiration. In fact, a tattoo becomes more relevant when there is something significant attached to it. Important events, special people or things and artistic ideas are just some of the common themes for custom tattoo designs.

So, how is custom tattoo design stencil made? Here are some simple steps to make your very own customized designs.

1. Draw out a template first - As mentioned above, you can use many different sources for your design. If you are making a tattoo design for the first time, you can check current tattoo styles and trends online. There are millions of designs out there where you can get the inspiration and ideas for your own tattoo. Take time to find out one and finalize your own design.

2. Scale the design so that it fits standard paper size and the part of the body to be tattooed - A design with intricate details is rather difficult to scale on paper. You need to make sure that all details are precisely laid out on the paper as this will become your stencil. If you are not comfortable with your artistic ability or you're not that gifted, you can ask for help from an expert tattoo designer.

3. Transfer the design onto transfer paper - To do this, you need to use carbon paper. Lay the transfer paper flat on a firm surface, then secure the carbon paper, ink side down, on the paper. Place your scaled design on top of the carbon paper. Carefully, using slight pressure, trace the design, not missing out any details. Make sure that the design and the carbon paper are secured in place to prevent misalignment on the final stencil. You can use tape to ensure that the carbon is placed accurately. This is important, as it ensures that your stencil is exactly the same as your design.

4. Transfer the design stencil onto your skin - Once you're done tracing the design, cut out the design, following its edges. Moisten the tattoo stencil with glycerin so that it sticks to the skin. For the stencil to stick onto the skin, you need to moisten it a little. Place the transfer paper over the part of the body to be tattooed. Rub the paper gently until it has completely transferred the design. You can now start following the stencil with tattoo ink.