TUTORIAL: Freezer Paper Stencil, "Makenna Loves Goldfish"

Some of you have asked how to do Freezer Paper Stenciling. So here's a tutorial.
1. Make, purchase, or gather an item of clothing for stenciling. In this case, I made a pair of pants for my niece Makenna who just turned 1. Some of you have also asked about sewing without a pattern. There are more official ways of doing this but since I have no formal training, here is my make-shift method. Take clothing you like, turn it inside out and trace the clothing (as if it were a pattern) right onto your fabric. Often I'll trace onto a scrap piece of fabric first so I have an actual pattern left-over at the end to make changes and adjustments (should I want to make the item again). I use a sharpie for tracing and just make sure I cut off any of the pen marks. This can be tricky when tracing pieces that are still sewn or gathered but I just guesstimate there. A pair of pants lays out quite easily and flat: 2. Find an image you like online or from your photo stash and print it off on a piece of paper. In this instance, Makenna loves goldfish crackers:
3. Purchase some Freezer Paper from your local grocery store. It must be actual Freezer Paper, not wax paper:
4. Place your picture/image under the freezer paper (with the shiny side of the freezer paper down) and trace right onto the paper. If it's hard to see your image through the freezer paper, try outlining the image with a sharpie first.

5. Tape the freezer paper down on a cutting mat. Using an exacto knife, cut the image out being careful not to cut anything beside just the image. You are creating a stencil. Any cracks or extra cuts in the paper will allow paint to seep through.
Note: If your image has additional images inside (such as a window to a car, etc) you'll need to cut and save those too. You have to envision it as a negative image. Anything that's covered in Freezer paper will stay the color of the fabric. Anything cut out will become the paint color:
6. Iron the stencil onto your fabric, shiny side of the freezer paper down. Make sure you iron around all edges of the stencil so that a seal is created for your stenciled image:
7. Purchase PERMANENT fabric paint (from craft stores, such as Michael's), appx $4/bottle. Some paints are thicker than others. You don't want it too watery but if it's too thick, add a pinch of water. Make sure the paint is Permanent so it doesn't wash off over time. I like the brand Tulip best (make sure you get the Matte finish. You can find these at JoAnns, Michaels, and other craft stores):
This brand is good too (but I like Tulip better):
8. Mix your paints for desired color. I mixed the three colors above for mr. goldfish:
9. Using a paintbrush, paint directly over the stencil, making sure the paint is spread evenly. Be careful with your strokes that you don't accidentally brush too far and paint onto the outside fabric. I've made that mistake in the past. You may need to apply additional coats. This stencil required THREE coats. I waited 2 hours between each applied coat. Goose's "I heart Milk" pants, however, only required 1 coat (hey, it looks like California):
10. Let the paint dry overnight or for several hours. Carefully peel off the freezer paper. This is the fun part:
11. Admire your work and rejoice that it turned out as you envisioned!
12. FINAL STEP (and an important one you can't forget). Iron over the paint to seal the finish. I missed this step once and the paint faded the first time I washed it. Don't iron directly on the paint. I place a cloth over the top:
Iron for about 30 seconds or so. Read the instructions on your paint bottle for more details.
You're DONE! Freezer Paper Stenciling is fun and easy! It's the poor man's version of silk-screening. Hooray for home-made remedies.

Here's the final birthday gift. Makenna Loves Goldfish pants and matching headband:
I made the pants too long first time around so I cut off the hem and decided it made a good headband. I love salvaging the scraps:
They fit great and looked super comfy:
Good luck with your freezer paper ventures! If anyone has anything to add (tips, things I left out, etc.) please leave a comment!