Thursday, November 6, 2008

Make your own very cool printed fabric


I've been interested in doing this for sometime and with my growing love of fabric it was time to learn how to design my own.


Here's what you will need:


Fabric (you choose color and maybe even one with a design already)

Paint (if the item isn't going to be used for clothing use acrylic otherwise buy the fabric paint)

Stamp (be creative here!)

Imagination




I decided to use a swatch of fabric from a repurposed white sheet. It was already washed so no need to do this before stamping. I'd play around on paper first before you get going on the fabric. (It's better to make mistakes here first!)


I applied the acrylic paint on the stamp with a paintbrush. I stamped all the black patterning first than washed my stamp and paintbrush. After drying stamp with towel I applied the green paint and stamped the green patterning.



Super simple to do and you don't have to be too precise! YEAH! My kind of creating! The subtle stamp imperfections work well with the paisley mandala stamp.


I've used acrylic paint on fabric before and as long as you don't use thick amounts it washes up nicely and stays on forever. I do like to wash the fabric after completion it softens up the design and gives it a feel more like screenprinting.


CAUTION: If using acrylic paint on fabric DO NOT IRON without a towel covering the design.


The picture above is my first swatch. I am going to use this fabric for a journal cover. I think a nice green velvet ribbon would make a nice closure....hmmm...we'll have to see!



This is incredibly simple to do, and affordable. The possibilites are limitless!

Now go get creating!!!!




9 comments:

Marjorie said...

Very Cool! I wonder if I could stamp designs on my daughter's tights? Thanks!

erin said...

Absolutely! I did some work on some T-shirts awhile back. I took a henna tattoo form and stuck it to the shirt and sponged acrylic paint over it. It turned out really nice and has held up perfect in lots of washings. Try it out on a pair of tights that you don't care about too much first. The tights will stretch and that will distort the pattern a bit. Just something to keep in mind! Send a pic of the results when you're done. I'd love to see them!

Marjorie said...

Okay! Thanks for the tips.

timary said...

This is great! I have the old sheet, I have the fabric paints... :) Now for a creative stamp! Somehow I don't think mine will come out as cute as yours!

erin said...

threemoonbabies,
ur welcome!
thx for stopping by!
let me know how they turn out!

erin said...

ok timary, you've gotta be jokin'! I've seen your work! Now, go put me to shame! I want pics!! :)

timary said...

I linked this post on my blog (and stole your picture - I have to figure out how to give credit for pics...) I'm such a noob at blogging!

Marjorie said...

Okay...here is our first pair of hand painted tights...I am sure that there are many more to come:)

http://livingwiththreemoonbabies.blogspot.com/2008/11/hand-painted-tights.html

Thanks!

erin said...

LOVE THEM!!! Now all of you go check it out!!! :)

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