Triad Color Schemes Made Easy | Layering Stencils with the Color Wheel (With Video Tutorial)

by Mindy Eggen - 2 minute read

Last Updated: June 5, 2025

Hello crafty friends! It's Mindy with my series Inking It Up With Mindy and today, I'm diving into a little color theory to bring your stenciling projects to life in a fresh, vibrant way. We’re talking triad color schemes—a simple and effective approach using the color wheel to choose colors that are balanced, bold, and full of contrast.

I’ll be using the beautiful Stencil Art: Ditsy Flowers Wallpaper layering stencil to show you how to apply this color concept in your own designs.

What is a triad color scheme? A triad color scheme uses three colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel. Think red, yellow, and blue or orange, green, and violet. The result is a harmonious yet high-contrast palette that’s visually striking without overwhelming the eye.

For this project, I chose a triad of purple violet, teal blue, and sunny yellow to create a cheerful floral background with the Ditsy Flowers Wallpaper stencil. The stencil’s layers make it ideal for exploring multiple shades, allowing each color to shine on its own while still working beautifully together.

The ink collections I used are:

I used a mix of small, mini and micro blending brushes to apply the color through the stencil.

The triadic combo added so much life to the delicate flower pattern—it’s amazing how a thoughtful color choice can elevate your entire design!

To help with alignment, I used the Stampwheel—not only to keep my cardstock securely in place but also to assist in the precise placement of each stencil layer. By consistently lining up the stencil in the corner, I was able to ensure perfect registration every time.

While the stencil creates a beautiful full-panel design, I wanted to stretch my background even further. To do this, I die cut a shape from the center of the stenciled panel and used that die-cut piece for one card, and the negative panel for a second card. It’s a simple trick that gives you double the designs from one stenciled background!

To finish off both cards, I stamped sentiments from the Build-A-Garden: Alluring Orchids stamp set using Obsidian Ink and mounted them with foam tape for a little extra dimension.

You can watch the full video tutorial below.

I love how these cards turned out—using a triad color scheme really brought the design to life, and stretching one stenciled panel into two cards made the process both fun and efficient. The Build-A-Garden: Alluring Orchids sentiments added the perfect final touch, and that pop of dimension from the foam tape helps everything stand out just a bit more. I hope this inspires you to experiment with your color wheel and layering stencils to create your own vibrant designs. Thanks so much for stopping by!