The mission: To find a patterned fabric in a color as close to my freshly painted walls as possible. The problem: Everything I found was totally over my budget. The solution: Printing my own pattern using basic cotton fabric, leftover latex paint, and a stencil.
This little project, while time consuming, requires just a few supplies. Here's what you'll need:
• 1 stencil - I made my own stencil but you could just as easily purchase a pre-cut stencil. I love the selection at Cutting Edge Stencils.
• 1 small paint roller - I use this little roller for everything - painting tight spots on walls, stenciling, painting furniture. This little roller is a marvel and is a must-have for any decorative painters!
• 1 small container with lid - I prefer a lidded container for this project for two reasons. First, the container holds the paint and the lid can be used to offload the paint from the roller. Secondly, when you want to take a long break from painting, you can snap the lid on the container so the paint doesn't dry out.
• 1 can of paint - I used flat latex paint leftover from painting the walls to paint my pattern. Of course, you can use any paint of your choosing.
One other supply that's not pictured above is scrap paper to place under your fabric. Unless you're able to print your fabric in a garage or workshop where it won't matter if the paint bleeds through the fabric, you'll need plenty of scrap paper. And if your fabric is thin, like the cotton I used, the paint will bleed through so don't say I didn't warn you!
With all of your supplies collected, it's time to get started printing your fabric! (This is also the perfect chance for you to do a couple of test stencils on your scrap fabric.)
First, place your stencil on your fabric. I started at one corner of my fabric and worked from there.
Dip your roller into the paint, liberally covering it. Run the roller across the lid a few times to offload the paint a bit. Then, while holding the stencil flat to the fabric with one hand, swipe the roller across the stencil, getting as much coverage as possible. You may need to apply a little pressure to the roller to get good coverage.
You may need to re-dip the roller in the paint a time or two (offloading again, of course) to get complete coverage. Once you can see that you have covered the entire area of the stencil, peel it off the fabric and position it in the next area to be painted.
I applied my stencil in a straight row up one side of the fabric and then moved over to the next row and did it all over again. I stopped to rinse the paint off the stencil after every third or fourth use. Like I said, this project does require a lot of sweat equity so queue up some tunes, pour yourself a glass of wine, and settle in for a few hours of stenciling fun.
Eventually you will end up with patterned fabric and an achy back (and possibly drunk from that bottle of wine you opened).
After allowing the paint to dry, turn your new patterned fabric into something fabulous. I printed my fabric for use as curtains but you could just as easily print your own fabric for upholstery or pillows or any number of things!
Images: Jason Loper
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Comments (33)
I love, love, love this. Well done. I love the color, too.
This is beautiful!
What type of material did you use for making your own stencil?
Could you do this to make fabric to upholster a chair? Would you use the same type of paint or something else (to make sure it won't rub off, etc.)?
Awesome! I have relatives in Africa that have made us throw pillows in the past using a similar technique (but I believed they painted the patterns freehand.)
Do you think this would work for a tablecloth? Would you need to put a sealant on it?
So beautiful!
For anything you're going to wash, I think you need paint designed for use with fabric. Dharma Trading would probably be a good place to start.
This is probably cheaper than Spoonflower, but if you can afford it, you can save your back with them. It's a genius website that lets you upload images and they print fabric to your order. The quality is very high.
I've been interested in fabric painting a while. Got inspired by a book a out "Floorclothes." But for some reason, I didn't think of stencils or, better yet, objects to use as stamps. Now I'm looking around -- hmm...
(that book has good info on prep, finish, etc. It and others are listed at http://www.fredrixfloorcloths.com/index.html)
Will the fabric be machine washable?
That is really beautiful.
Came out beautifully!!!
There are products you can use to make ordinary paint (latex, acrylic, etc.) into paint more suitable for use on fabric. These additives can make the paint thicker, less vulnerable to cracking and flaking, and more. Here's one example:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2174719_turn-acrylic-paint-fabric-paint.html
Wow, such a beautiful print! Great DIY!
House paint works great on fabric. Have you ever tried getting it out of jeans and a teeshirt? You can wash it, but it'll stay. I really don't think you need a fabric medium.
House paint will crack eventually. There are fabric spray paints that work really well. The color choice is limited though. Go to SimplySpray.com. I did a post on it here http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/chicago/how-to/how-to-upholstery-spray-paint-082322.
This turned out wonderfully! Great job!
Gorgeous curtains!! And YAY for totally unique. love love love :)
michelle
thunderpeepdesigns.com
This is gorgeous! Well executed and the perfect vibe for your space. I love the color, too!
The effect is similar to traditional Indian block printing. You might get some inspiration from this slide show detailing that process:
http://bit.ly/9feguQ
Beautiful!
Looks very good. Given the way you've used your stencil, though, you could have cut a bigger one which would have made your task less tedious. I would have cut four squares as a single stencil. Also, if you used eco-friendly paint on the walls, you'd need proper fabric paint - there's some called Permaset that allows you to mix your own colours.
I applaud your commitment to this project; a total labor of love. You want that I should stop by and hem them?
Thak you for posting this, it is such an inspiration. I feel like I can do that! I will save some money when I redo my kid's room!
Great job Jason! They came out great!
Please tell how you made your own stencil!
Aw dang. From the first photo I thought you made ombre fabric. But the single color is still cool, the pattern is hot.
Love it! I am going to use this on canvas as a floor cloth/runner in my back entry!
What a great idea. I love Marimekko textiles but my budget does not, so this inspires me to make my own version. Your husband is a lucky gent!
Jason,
I just love your project. It really appeals to the cheap um er thrifty side of me :) I think you're curtains are awesome and look expensive. I can't wait to try making some curtains or possibly a floor cloth with your technique.
This is a really great pattern. For those who want to cut their own, get some Mylar (from the art supply store) and cut it with an Exacto knife. You can use a light (!) dusting of spray adhesive to keep the stencil in place as you roll your paint on.
Love this! Boy, you have A LOT of patience. That's a lot of stenciling!
Very pretty! Great tutorial.
Genius!
so beautiful!!!