How to Create Freezer Paper

How to Create Freezer Paper
Written By
Amy Lyn
Amy Lyn
Published: May 5, 2010
Updated: Feb 23, 2021
2 minute read

Freezer paper is great for making your own stencils to use on clothing and crafts. Rather than purchase a roll of freezer paper, a more economical and eco-friendly solution is to make your own.

Things You'll Need:

Things You Will Need

  • Scissors
  • Ironing Board
  • Sheets Of Scrap Printer Paper
  • Scrap Piece Of Cotton Fabric
  • Thin Plastic Shopping Bags
  • Iron
  • iron image by Robert Grzywaczewski from Fotolia.com

    Set your iron to the "Cotton Blends" or "Medium" setting.

    Lay one piece of scrap paper on your ironing board.

    Take one thin plastic shopping bag and lay it on top of the scrap paper, then smooth it flat with your hand.

    Lay the piece of cotton fabric on top of the layers of scrap paper and plastic bag.

    repassage image by Richard villalon from Fotolia.com

    Place your iron directly in the center of the layers. Iron the layers together by sliding your iron slowly from the center out to the edges of the fabric. Be sure the scrap piece of fabric completely covers the plastic bag or it will melt on your iron.

    Completely iron the area of fabric that is over the scrap paper and plastic bag.

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    Let cool for a few seconds.

    Peel the fabric away from the paper. The plastic bag will have adhered to the paper.

    paire de ciseaux image by jacques-philipp from Fotolia.com

    Cut around the edge of the paper to remove the excess plastic.

    eye image by Pali A from Fotolia.com

    Inspect the plastic bag side of your new sheet of freezer paper for small holes which may have happened during the melting process. If you find any holes, just take a small piece of the scrap of plastic bag you just cut off, layer it over the holes, cover with your scrap fabric and iron that area again.

    curly design elements image by Adrian Hillman from Fotolia.com

    Use your homemade freezer paper. Draw and cut your shape out of the freezer paper to create your stencil and just iron it onto your fabric or piece of clothing and paint.

    Amy Lyn

    Amy Lyn has more than 20 years of experience in marketing and development. She has worked with nonprofit, arts, education and technology organizations. Lyn holds a B.A. in journalism from the University of Massachusetts.

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