Make Your Own Fabric Prints

Fabrics come in a multitude of designs and prints. Some crafters and sewers prefer using original, one-of-kind prints of their own design. There are numerous ways to make a custom fabric print, depending on the desired effect. Some traditional prints require handiwork, while others require an artistic touch. You do not have to be a professional to create printed fabric. There are several do-it-yourself techniques that you can learn by following these steps for how to make your own fabric prints.

Steps

  1. Choose a fabric. Natural fabrics like cotton and silk are the best to work with, as they readily accept dyes and paints.
  2. Determine which type of custom fabric print you want. Each printing technique yields very different results. Do you want a soft and fluid background print, or bold graphics?
  3. Sketch out your print, if applicable. Use graph paper to create a to-scale version of your pattern before you attempt to create printed fabric.
  4. Test your colors on your fabric. Using a swatch of your chosen fabric, test the dyes or paints you plan to use for your print, making sure the colors translate correctly and that the fabric will accept the coloring method you choose.
  5. Create your custom fabric print using one of the following techniques:
    • Tie-dye. This easily distinguishable print is created by twisting sections of your fabric in varying lengths and directions, then tightly wrapping rubber bands around the sections, where you plan on leaving the fabric un-dyed.
    • Stamping. Create printed fabric by brushing acrylic fabric paints onto store-bought stamps and stamping your fabric in the pattern you desire.
    • Masking tape stripes. Lay your fabric out flat and measure and mark your lines. Use masking tape to create straight, clean-edged lines and brush fabric paints onto fabric, where you want your lines. If you choose to create stripes in multiple colors, let each color dry before removing the tape and moving on to the next color.
    • Crayon designs. Use crayons to color a design into the fabric. Press hard and be sure to saturate the area you want to print with crayon wax. When you are satisfied with your custom fabric print, put the fabric between two sheets of heavy brown packing paper and iron on a steam-free setting to set the crayon color into the fabric.
    • Printing companies. If you have an intricate design that you have created and need a bulk amount of fabric, you can send it to a fabric printing company and have the company print your custom fabric design on yards (meters,) or even bolts, of your chosen fabric.

Tips

  • Wash and dry any new fabric before attempting to print on it. New fabric often has a protective starch finish that is resistant to paints and dyes.
  • Get creative when you make fabric prints with the masking tape striping technique by creating a variety of plaid, chevron, diamond, argyle and checkerboard patterns.
  • It is advisable to hand-wash and air-dry your custom fabric print in order to keep it appearing as fresh and vibrant as when you first created it.

Warnings

  • Avoid using polyester unless you are using acrylic paints to create an un-washable, decorative fabric. Polyester does not accept dyes.

Things You'll Need

  • Fabric
  • Sketch or graph paper
  • Pencil
  • Ruler
  • Tape measure
  • Masking tape
  • Rubber bands
  • Gloves
  • Brown packing paper
  • Paint brush
  • Stamps
  • Iron
  • Ironing board
  • Fabric dyes
  • Fabric paints
  • Crayons

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Sources and Citations

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