Fabric Medium & Acrylic Paint

 I've been looking into block printing a lot lately after being wildly inspired by Block Shop Textiles. Seriously, check them out. I started researching different printing techniques and materials and discovered a new product! Well, new to me anyway. Textile medium, how could I not know of your existence?! With fabric painting being one of my all time favorite things to do, textile medium is a total game changer. For those of you who were also in the dark on fabric medium, it allows you to turn regular acrylic paint into fabric paint. Which means pretty much limitless color options for way less money, kids. I'm all about it.

 While traditional block printing uses some kind of natural ink or dye and intricately carved wooden blocks, for the less experienced and budget minded folks (like me), the same effect can be achieved with simple homemade stamps and some fabric paint.

 Making The Stamp: I knew I wanted to do a simple triangle pattern. I used a thin sheet of craft foam and cut out 2 identical triangles. I taped the triangles together, just for some added thickness, and then taped the triangle to a wooden block for stability. Obviously, this technique can be adapted for any kind of shape your crafty heart desires.

 The Printing Process: I put a book in between the layers of my shirt to create a hard, smooth service and to prevent the paint from bleeding through to the other side. I decided to do a color gradient of yellow to green. In a cup, I combined 2 parts dark green acrylic paint to 1 part fabric medium and mixed with a paintbrush. I applied a thin, even coat of paint to my stamp and pushed down on both sides of the block to get an even color distribution. I reapplied a coat of paint prior to each stamping. As you can see from the above picture, it's not a perfect process, but I actually like how the stamps are slightly imperfect. It adds character.

 Because I was working on a color gradient, I was able to just continuously mix my color in the same cup by adding paint and fabric medium as I went.

 After the paint dries completely, it must be heat set. I layered a scrap piece of fabric over my design and used a dry iron (no steam!) to go over the painted area for 20 seconds. The textile medium I used suggests waiting to wash the painted material for 7 days after printing, but follow the directions of whatever you use.

 I love how this turned out! I started with something simple because I've never used textile medium before, but it's very easy to use. I have visions of hand printing a scarf or quilt next. Have you ever tried block printing? What materials did you use?

Reusable Stencil Painted Tank DIY

 Paint projects are my absolute favorite. I don't know why particularly. Just something about paint makes me glad to be alive! And adding paint to something I can wear takes the cake. I made some simple reusable stencils to add images to a couple of inexpensive blank tank tops from Forever 21.

Start out by sketching a design on a piece of scrap paper. I actually used Google Images and traced them right off my computer screen. To create a sturdier, reusable stencil, I then traced my design onto a plastic report cover. Initially I planned to use a basic transparency, but it turns out a box of transparencies is ridiculously expensive. So use the plastic report covers. I bought a package of 6 for $3 at Office Max. Since the covers are double sided, that's the equivalent of having 12 transparencies to play with. After I transferred the image I wanted, I used an exacto knife to cut out the design. Now it's time to paint! Make sure to put a piece of cardboard in between the shirt layers to prevent bleeding. I used spray paint, but obviously fabric paint would work too. To have more control over the paint application, I sprayed a small amount of paint at a time into a disposable plastic container and applied it to the cut out areas within my stencil using an old sponge. Easy peasy. Let it dry completely, then wash normally. This is a really fun process with so many possibilities. I'll definitely be making more! If you decide to make one share your pics :)

Distressed and Painted Shorts DIY

 I acquired a pair of jeans for 97 cents a little while ago from Old Navy. They were a bit too big for me so I knew they'd be perfect for a DIY project. I decided to turn them into shorts, distress them, and add some spray paint just for funsies.

 To turn them into shorts, I laid an existing pair of shorts that I liked the length of on top of the pants as a guide of where to cut. If you're going to roll the bottom of the shorts, be sure to add a few inches to the length. It's always better to start longer and cut more off as you go until you reach the desired length so err on the side of caution here. I followed this method for distressing the jeans. I got a bit lazy with it so my distressing is more minimal at the moment, but I figure they'll get more distressed over time. To add to the worn/distressed look I haphazardly spray painted sections of the shorts. There's really no method to this. The more random the better. After the spray paint dried completely, I rolled the bottom of the shorts twice and hemmed the sides and the middle of the back to keep the fold in place.

Simple Saturday// T-shirt DIY

 This is another really simple t-shirt DIY that is extremely customizable. The techniques can be used to create any kind of design you can imagine. I created a change the world graphic. Get it? Because delta is the Greek symbol for change. I'm not a nerd or anything.

I drew an outline of my design with washable markers because, let's face it, I'm no artist and free handing the earth wasn't going to go smoothly. You can see two different colors I used because I screwed up the outline. No big deal though, it washes right out. I then used a puffy fabric paint to go over my outline. After it dried I filled in the continents with a regular fabric paint. After that dried I prepared some blue fabric dye and filled in the rest of the world with a brush. It's not a perfect process, but the bleeding was pretty minimal. I let it dry completely and waited several days before I washed it just to make sure everything was set. Then I rinsed the shirt thoroughly and washed it by its lonesome the first time to prevent any dye bleeding into other fabrics. This is a really fun and easy project. I can't wait to make more with different designs!

DIY Stamp T-shirt

 I got the idea to make this stamp on Pinterest. I just wrapped yarn around a wooden block to achieve my desired design, then I used fabric paint to make the back of an old t-shirt a little more exciting. Super easy and, again, customizable. Just follow the washing directions on your fabric paint for best results.

I Just Came to Say Hello

 Does anyone else find paint therapeutic? I think paint is the ultimate toy. There is something deeply satisfying about smearing color onto various surfaces. Maybe I just like it because it gives me an excuse to play and make a mess...
Anyway, I bought stencils the other day and decided to jazz up one of my plain Old Navy hoodies. It took me a long time to figure out what I wanted the message to be, but I decided that 'Say Hello' could lead to some interesting conversations. You will need a plain article of clothing, stencils, a fabric or paint brush, fabric paint, cardboard, and tape. Here's what I did:

 Place a piece of cardboard inside your garment to keep paint from seeping through the layers. Then determine the placement of your letters and tape them down.

 Paint inside your letters and allow the paint to dry before removing the stencils. Follow washing directions on your fabric paint for best results.

This is another one of those great projects that is completely customizable and super simple to do. It can say anything you can imagine and be in any color you wish. This song seemed fitting for this project. Enjoy!