Fabric Painting Tutorial

Here is a quick and easy Fabric Painting tutorial.

Supplies:

100% cotton white fabric
acrylic or fabric paints

Paint brushes

container of water
paint palette ( I use the lid of a plastic box)

plastic table cloth to protect your work surface ( I use a small mat)

optional: textile medium

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Hand wash the fabric to remove the sizing.
Place the fabric on the work surface.
Decide on a background color.

Here I have decided to go with Yellow.
I diluted the paint with water (or Textile Medium) just a bit and painted the entire fabric in yellow.

I could stop here....if all I want is this shade of yellow.
But I don't. So I decide on another color.

So will go with this bright blue. Again, I dilute it with a bit of water.

I add circles and swirls in Blue.

Now I have decided to add another color.

So I paint more circles and swirls in Halo Pink Gold.

This is what the entire piece looks like after all the painting is done.

Let it completely air dry. Once it dries, place it in the drier on High/Hot for 10-15minutes of so.
This will heat set the paint to the fabric. (You can also iron it to heat set the color)

There are many ways of painting your own fabric. After you paint your fabric, you can stamp on it, apply Elmer's Blue glue as a resist, or draw on it. If you don't like your final painted result...just paint odd shapes on it in a different color. That usually works. You can also alter it by over stitching a contrasting fabric on it.
The idea here is to have fun and create a fabric of your own liking.

Enjoy,

Alma

Comments

[Geri]

What beautiful art you create, I love the fabric and now your tutorials have taken away the fear. At times we think "we can't do it" and go on to something we have done before. I'm ready now to follow in your footsteps..just think of the long path we are all making thanks to YOU>...Best wishes in your career and personal life. HAPPY SPRING

[madhvi]

i am from jndia. if u enjoyed deepak chopra there are many writers that u will enjoy. namaste.

[Moira]

Thanks for the clear instructions and photos. It's always interesting to see what make of paints people have.
Moira.

[Frederique]

Thank you so much to share this great tutorial with us! One day, I will try... when my sailboat will not move too much!!

[Alesia]

Love It! Thanks for sharing such a simple, fun, expressive technique. I can't wait to try it and share it with my boy, who loves to paint and create also.

[Sue K.]

I'm going to do some fabric painting this weekend. I've already pre-washed the fabric. I'm assuming I should wet it again so it's damp when I paint, right?
I love your painted fabrics - can't wait to get started.

[Dawn]

Brilliant! thank you for sharing this tutorial. It may come in handy one of these days;)