THE USE OF STENCILS IN WINDOW TRIMMING.
As accessories to window trimming, stencils have come to perform a useful part in that art of decoration. Where a number of show cards are to be lettered in the same manner, no more effective or expeditious way of getting them out is to be found than by stenciling the same, unless it is to have the cards printed, a much more expensive process. Furthermore, aside from the mere lettering on the card, the trimmer may add and reproduce any ornament or device he choose, and there again avoid the expense of having a cut engraved. The experienced window trimmer finds many uses for his stenciling, and this process is especially valuable in decorating the background of a trim, where plain white papers, colored cartridge papers, cheap white cloth, burlaps and numerous other materials may be patterned or lettered at very little expense and in such a manner as to add to the attractiveness of the trim.
To begin with, the window trimmer needs but few things for cutting and applying his stencils: a very sharp knife, any kind of extra thick paper (this must be coated with shellac varnish or oiled to prevent the paint from soaking into it), some paint brushes, oil and water color paints of the desired colors, and a bottle of turpentine. After the pattern or lettering chosen or designed is traced or drawn upon the paper, care being taken that the design introduces cross strips to hold all together, it is cut away. Then the varnish is applied. When dry it is taken up and the edges of the stencil carefully cut here and there where the varnish may have run over, as it is necessary to keep them clear and sharp. Next the desired colors are gotten out; a large plate will serve for a palette, though separate saucers for each color are preferable. The colors, if oil, are mixed with a great deal of turpentine, but water colors should be applied “stiff.” Next the stencil is held firmly against the fabric to be lettered or decorated, and quickly but neatly painted over, care being taken that the stencil pattern does not slip and rub the design, and that part of the fabric appearing through the stencil each time is thus stamped. The design can be repeated on the fabric at will and in any arrangement the window trimmer sees fit. On cards and thin papers it is better to use thickly mixed water colors in place of oil colors, as these latter are liable to spread. In the cities one can get stencils already cut, but there is no reason why the window trimmer should not design and cut his own, as very little practice in this art makes perfect, and one’s own designs are, for many purposes, generally more applicable. Stencil, alphabets of various sizes can be bought, costing all the way from fifty cents to $1.50 a set, according to their size. These the window trimmer will find very valuable aids in lettering his show and price cards.
THE USE OF STENCILS IN WINDOW TRIMMING
THE STENCIL PLATE.
An exceedingly pretty effect was noticed in a down town New York shoe dealer’s window, gotten by giving the trim for a background a screen of light olive burlaps, upon which the monogram of the firm was placed in stenciled pattern in metallic colors. A little ingenuity along this line cannot fail to produce equally valuable effects. If the spaces left by a stenciled letter are objected to, these spaces may be easily filled in with a brush, as is shown in the letter “R” in the illustration. By the use of stencils many pretty backgrounds may be made. Paper the sides and back of your window with common white print paper, and then stencil a pretty border around them, with ornaments to suit your fancy. Stenciled ornaments may also be used to decorate your card work. If you have a neat monogram of the firm’s initials cut, you can use it in the corner of all your show cards.
A STENCILED BORDER.