I use a piece of flexible plastic like the plastic in bacon but heavier or a sheet from my current stockpile of plastic folders, trace the pattern on it and then on long stitch, NO THREAD and with a wing leather needle reserved for just this duty, sew over the tracing. Then I use pounce or cornstarch to rub over the holes and voila! the pattern appears. Of course this is pretty much a mark as you go project unless you want to play connect the dots with a disappearing blue pen. The stencils last nicely but do write page and any increase in size on the stencil with a perm. marker. Ask me how I figured this last detail out.