How to Make Bleach Paste for Wood Stencils

Put on gloves when you work with bleach to keep your skin from being burned by the chemical. In addition, work in a well ventilated area so that you don't breath in the strong fumes.

Test your wood. Get a scrap piece and test it with different mixtures of bleach and water. Use full strength bleach all the way down to 10 percent bleach to 90 percent water to get an idea of what strength works best. It's best to use the mixture with the lowest percentage of bleach that accomplishes the task of removing the color. Bleach is more damaging at full strength, which is why you want to use the least amount possible to achieve the effect you're going for.

Mix up a batch of sodium alginate and water in a blender, once you determine the percentage of water you will need. The sodium alginate, found in hobby and craft stores, does not come into the equation of the percentage of bleach to water. It is only a thickener often used to form pastes. Use 4 to 8 tbsp. of thickener for every 4 cups of water you need to use. So, for a 50 percent bleach to water mixture, you might use 2 cups of water with 2 to 4 tbsp. of thickener, to which you would later add 2 cups of bleach. Slowly add the thickener to the water in a blender. If full strength bleach is the only formula that will work on your wood surface, then just pour some in a bowl.

Pour the thickened mixture of water and sodium alginate in a bowl, then add the bleach and stir it in. If you have determined that you need 100 percent bleach on your wood to get the effect you want, then mix the thickener powder with the bleach in a bowl with a whisk until it thickens. Do not put the bleach in the blender, because it will damage the rubber seal at the bottom.