DIY Screen Printing with Silhouette and Adhesive Vinyl

Have you tried screen printing using Silhouette cut vinyl stencils?

There are several ways to screen print - including with a screen, but this specific technique doesn't require an actual screen on a frame.
If you have a Silhouette Cameo and adhesive vinyl you are already well on your way to having everything you need. In addition, you will need:

• Screen Printing Paint
• Large Embroidery Hoop
• Sheer/Thin Fabric to act as the 'screen'
• Painter's Tape
• Flexible Instrument for Scraping (small squeegee, credit card, etc.)

• Screen Printing Paint - I bought the Speedball Screen Printing brand. 
• Embroidery Hoop - I bought one large enough to cover the entire front of a t-shirt. 
• Sheer/Thin Fabric for 'Screen' - I used a section of an old sheer curtain panel. 
• Flexible Instrument: I used an old Starbucks gift card instead of a screen printing squeegee. 

Cut and weed your adhesive vinyl stencil. I used Oracal 651.

Secure the thin fabric in the embroidery hoop. Pull it tight so that there are no wrinkles.

Trim the excess from around the hoop.

Flip the hoop and material over so that the thin sheet is laying flat on the surface (not raised up by the hoop). 

Using transfer paper, transfer the stencil to the material inside the hoop. I found this the most difficult part of the process.

I really had to work to make the vinyl stick to the fabric and peel off the transfer paper. I would suggest using a piece of transfer paper that has been used a couple times already so it is less sticky.

Make sure the vinyl is sealed down on the fabric really well. Wrinkles will allow the paint to seep outside of the stencil lines. You will also be pressing and scraping across the vinyl with your squeegee or card so the vinyl pieces need to be very secure.

Tape around the outside border of the vinyl with painter's tape. This is to protect your material underneath from getting paint on it. You can cover all the exposed material outside of your vinyl or just create a large border like I did.

Place the hoop with the stencil flat on top of the material to be screen printed - a t-shirt in my case.   I placed wax paper inside the shirt to keep any paint that might bleed through off of the back of the shirt.

Dab a little paint around your stencil. And I mean A LITTLE! The paint is very thick and concentrated. A little goes a very long way.

Using the scraper, pull the paint into the cut-out portions of the stencil flooding all the sections completely.

Then use the scraper to gently, but firmly, scrape away the excess paint until all of it has been removed. I scraped, then added the excess paint back into the paint container.

Gently pick the stencil up from the material.

Once the paint is dry, iron over the screen print with a hot iron. This sets the paint and will keep it from washing out.

I love the vintage-y feel of the screen printing. It doesn't have to be perfect. In fact, I like it better when it's not.

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