Morning all.
I Have just joined this site and WOW I am amazed at the wealth of knowledge and great helpful tips on here.

I am going to try using a stencil for the first time, but the thing is don't really want to buy them. Where I live (Buckinghamshire, UK) there is only 1 or 2 cake decorating shops nearby and they are very expensive, I can get them online but once you've paid the p&p it tends to get quite pricey. (esp as I always ending buying everything!)

So I thought I'd have a go at making my own. I have printed out a design which I like, but I have no idea as to what material to use to cut the stencil out of? I would like to be able to use it again so having it washable/wipeable would be great. Some how I think using greaseproof paper / baking paper just wont hold up and not reuseable.

Any ideas? Please remember I am in the UK so we don't have as wide a range of shops to go to for materials as in the US.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Do you want a stencil to pipe onto, or one to cut out the design and 'paint' it on the cake? If you want to pipe designs over a stencil you can use those clear plastic folders that people use as project protectors. They are open on one end and sealed on the other three. That way, you just slide in the stencil you have already printed, pipe over it, and then wipe it off. You could also try laminating stencils. The laminate surface wipes clean and then you can file all of your different stencils away.

Cake stencils are expensive, aren't they?! I've made my own stencils for years, but only recently have I tried them for cakes...here's what I do:

Acetate sheets make great stencils. I get mine at a craft store, but office supply stores will also have them, though you may have to buy a pack of 25 or more. An exacto knife will cut quite it quite nicely if the design is not too intricate--just place cardboard on your table, then the printed design, then the clear acetate, and hold everything in place with a little tape. A nice, new blade will give the cleanest cuts. More complicated designs will need a hot knife tool, but I've never used one.

BTW, some folks will tell you that you need food-safe acetate, but washing it would be fine.

Oh excellent thanks guys. Are the acetate sheets pliable enough to peel off the cakes? I am going to stencil the images onto the cake by wiping royal icing over the top of the stencil and peeling off.

Thanx for responses x

They are very pliable! You can buy them from cake decorating stores, or use overhead projector sheets. Its the same stuff essentially.

Great, Gonna get started!