I needed some fabric for this project, and as per usual, I had something pretty specific in mind. Rather than search through a bunch of web sites or drive around town trying to find a textile that matched up with my mental picture, I just decided to make my own.
Here's how to create your own completely customizable patterned fabric for whatever project you are working on (or putting off) these days.
I started off by making a stamp. I sketched the shape I wanted onto a scrap piece of craft foam and cut it out. Then I glued the shape onto a piece of cardboard for my backing (a piece of wood would work great too as I did with my tangram stamps).
For stamping fabric you could use a paint or a screen printing fabric ink.
In the past when I have done freezer stenciling on t-shirts and other fabrics in white, I have found screen printing ink to be more opaque although there wasn't much of a difference in this project:
To get a cleaner stamp, I prefer to brush the paint or ink on to the stamp with a foam brush rather than dipping the stamp. Press the stamp down firmly onto the fabric and carefully peel up. (Make sure to put a piece of paper or something beneath your fabric to protect your work surface!)
And that's it! Just keep going and eventually you will have a lovely piece of stamped fabric. I enjoyed playing around with the spacing and direction of the stamp to create a unique, handmade look.
I'm really digging the way my new textile looks in my little makeover project. Here's a peek:
Have you tried stamping fabric before? Tell me all about it in the comments!
Linking up at some of my favorite parties.
