Stencils for Paper Crafts

Learn About Stenciling, and Find My Top Picks for the Best Paper Craft Stencils

Are you hoping to find just the right stencils to use for paper crafts including scrapbooking, card making, memory planning, bullet journaling, art journaling and junk journaling?

If so, I’m glad you’re here; let’s have some fun with stencils, shall we?

Here you’ll find stencil recommendations for a variety of different paper crafting purposes.

Stencils are some of my most frequently used craft supplies. I use them for making planner layouts, bullet journal (BUJO) spreads, scrapbook layouts, mini scrapbook albums, handmade greeting cards, collage art, paintings and other projects.

My Favorite Stencils for Paper Crafts Including Card Making, Scrapbooking, Painting and Collage Art

The Elegant Swirls Stencil by Altenew

Learn More About the Elegant Swirls Stencil:

• You can click here if you’d like to check out my in-depth product review of this stencil and see photos of finished projects I’ve made with it.
• Click / tap here if you’d like to shop for the Elegant Swirls Stencil at Scrapbook.com.

Basic Shape Templates by Staedtler, Berol and Other Office Supply Manufacturers



My most-used stencils aren’t actually ones that are specifically made for paper crafts; they’re the basic drawing templates you can get at any office supply store.




I use these for a variety of purposes. Most often, I use them to create borders around words I stamp to use on my scrapbook pages and planner layouts, or sentiments that I stamp for card making.




This page shows you a bunch of different examples of how I combine these basic stenciled outlines with stamping to make bits and pieces I can use in my paper craft projects:






I make a lot of my own journaling blocks this way, too.






If you want to make journaling blocks like these, it will typically require two or more stencils:

• You’ll want to use some sort of shape to create an outer container that will hold your journaling — perhaps a circle, oval, rectangle or label shape;





• And you’ll want to use a stencil with lines to create a space that will fit your journaling.





• Beyond that, you might also want to use a stamped image to create a header for the journaling block. This is optional; there doesn’t need to be a header if you’d rather skip it. Your header could say anything you want it to. A few ideas include “To Do” or “Today’s Hike” or “Currently Writing.”

So if you’re into memory planning or journaling of any kind — art journaling, junk journaling, or journaling on your scrapbooking layouts — you will probably want to own one or more stencils that include lines you can use for making journaling blocks like these.




Here’s a photo showing you the journaling stencils I use most often:






Out of all these journaling stencils I own, the most useful and versatile one is the Journal Guide by We R Makers (formerly known as We R Memory Keepers).




The Journal Guide has lines for a journaling block on its handle, and it also has a bunch of other features that come in handy for paper crafters of all varieties.




It also has a circle-making tool that makes it really easy to draw circles — and even circles inside other circles.




So if you’ve ever wondered how it is that so many paper craft influencers are able to draw perfectly circular habit trackers, mood trackers and other trackers in their bullet journals and planners, now you know. They’re probably using this tool to do it.

Mintay’s Brick Wall Stencil



Mark the Moment Layering Stencil Set by Pinkfresh Studio

Best Stencils for Bullet Journaling and Planners

I use both stamps and stencils to make my planner layouts and bullet journal spreads. I like to stencil large calendar images using Catherine Pooler’s A Month in Circles Stencil; when I need a smaller calendar image, I can stencil it using the Happy Planner Journaling Stencils (Not pictured) or stamp it using the Journal Stamp set by P13 (pictured at far right). I find small calendar stamps easier and less tedious to use than calendar stencils, but they both have their uses.

More of My Picks for Best Bullet Journal Stencils

• Maggie Holmes Stencil From the “Day to Day” Collection (not pictured)
• Pennant Banners Stencil Set by Waffle Flower Crafts (Click / tap here to see my detailed product review of the Pennant Banners Stencil Set by Waffle Flower Crafts.)

The Best Stencils for Painting

Paint is one of the cheapest media you can use with stencils, but it isn’t the easiest media to use for stenciling.

This is because paint is thin, and it is a challenge to keep the paint in within the borders of the stencil area, where you want it. It tends to run under the stencil and get in lots of places you don’t want it.




So if you’re new to stenciling, and you have the budget to use other media besides paint, I’d recommend using a thicker stenciling media like Stencil Butter by the Crafter’s Workshop.




But if you don’t, I totally get it. I’m in that boat, too.




In that case, it’s ideal to use a repositionable adhesive like Pixie Spray to attach your stencil to the surface you want to paint — and then to use a stencil that’s ideal for painting.




I’ve had the best success when I’ve used very thin very thin stencils for painting.




The downside to that: Very thin stencils tend to not be as durable as thicker stencils. This is okay if you just need to make one project with the stencil, but it’s a bummer if you were hoping to get dozens or hundreds of uses out of it.




Check out Stamperia’s stencils for very thin stencils that are great for painting with, but be warned that they are not very durable.




They also offer thicker stencils that I’d recommend for use with stencil butter, modeling paste or other thicker media.




See Also: What Paint to Use With Stencils

The Vertical Stripes Slimline Stencil by Pinkfresh Studio







I purchased Pinkfresh Studio’s Vertical Stripes Slimline stencil with the idea of using it for making journaling blocks and larger surfaces for journaling. Funny thing, I haven’t used it for that purpose as often as I planned to, but I have been using it in zillions of other ways. Most of the projects I’ve made with it so far have been slimline cards. I love this stencil and highly recommend it to other crafters. You can click / tap here if you want to shop for this stencil at Scrapbook.com.

Simple Stories Waves Stencil from the Simple Vintage Seas Collection by Katie Pertiet Designs









I’ve used the “Waves” stencil by Simple Stories to create a Travel-Themed 6×8 Scrapbooking Album:









This mini album has pictures of our cross-country road trip to pick up the sailboat that my husband and I would later sail across the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. So if you want to see how that adventure got started, or see actual examples of how the Waves stencil was used in a project, I invite you to check out that page. Or you can click / tap here to shop for the Waves stencil at Scrapbook.com.

Stencil Letters






I’ll admit that I am not the biggest fan of stencil letters for paper crafting, because I think die cut letters and stamped letters are infinitely superior. However, alphabet stencils do have their place, and I do use them more frequently than I ever expected to considering my lack of enthusiasm for them. This Alphabet Stencil by Altenew is my favorite lettering stencil. You can click or tap here to shop for this stencil at Scrapbook.com.




Project Idea for Using Stencil Letters:




Here you can see an example of a project I made using the Alphabet Stencil by Altenew. It’s called “Life in Encino.”






Stencils for Painting

I use acrylic paints for stenciling with all the stencils mentioned above; I think any of them would work well for painting. One thing to be aware of is that you might have to mask parts of some of these stencils before painting, depending on what you are trying to accomplish.

Flower Stencils

If you need flower stencils, there are two companies I recommend checking out. The first is Pinkfresh Studio, and the second is Altenew. While I don’t happen to have any of their flower stencils in my stash at the moment, I do own other stencils by both of these manufacturers and can highly recommend them. They make high quality products, and I am sure their flower stencils are delightful!

So there you have it: That’s my roundup of recommendations for the best stencils for crafting in 2026. I hope you found some stencils that you can use for your own arts and crafts projects. Happy stenciling!

Related Craft Resources:

• How to Use Stencils
• Mixed Media Art
• Best Ink Pads for Stamping on Paper: Card Making and Other Paper Crafts

Posted By: Amy Solovay




This page was last updated on 1-12-2026. Thanks for visiting!