How to make homemade fabric medium, Wonder how to only use 3 ingredients and you won't believe the amazing thing.
We show you how to make fabric paint with household ingredients.The result is a fabric paint that is easy to clean.You did not need to set it with heat.
The kids and I went to a country fair.I was delighted to find some hand carved blocks in the craft tent.I knew what I wanted them to do.We have some bags for another project.We need the stamped bags to be clean.
A quick search shows that you can make homemade fabric paint by adding an acrylic paint medium.It would be perfect if we had some, but we didn't.
Adding fabric medium to your paints will increase their ability to bind to fabric.It makes it easier to paint on to fabric and reduce bleeding by giving the paint a softer more flexible finish.It thins the paint and encourages it to adhere to the fabric once it has been heat set.
Adding glycerine to the paints would make them act like oil paints.
We decided to do both because we wanted to encourage the colour to fix to the fabric.In our Turning Stains into Dyes video, we showed how to make traditional dyeing using mordant.We had a recipe for fabric medium.
We used a small amount of our textile medium to make fabric paint.It was the consistency of an ink when we thinned our fabric paint mixture.
We mixed 3 shades of green using our fabric paint recipe and then applied them to a sponge with a brush to make an ink pad.
We used a pretty Indian wood block stamp and stamped onto small muslin bags and cotton bags.
We wanted to see if ours could be fixed with heat.I kept the bottom half of the T-shirt away from the top to see how much difference it would make.
I put the T-shirt in the washing machine and used a detergent capsule to wash it.).
The leaves were intact when I removed the top from the machine.The stamped images are just as bright as the heat set ones, so the fabric medium recipe definitely did its job.
We made some gorgeous herbal bath soaks using our hand printed bags.Kids will love using this fabric paint to make gifts for their teachers.
The kids loved combining some gorgeous herbs to make both relaxing and revitalizing blends, and they had lots of fun printing the bags.
Plants with positive effects on your skin are perfect to use in bath products.Our 21 Botanicals that are fabulous for your skin post doesn't cover every single one, but will give you a good starting point if you want to learn more.
We used fabric paint and a glue stick to make batik art on an old pillowcase.
Our homemade fabric paint is perfect for this project because it doesn't need to be heated due to using glue on the fabric.
The photo shows how pretty the results were.You can learn how to make batik art using a glue stick.
If our homemade fabric paint has inspired you to try more fabric printing at home, you might also be interested in our review of the Screen Sensation home screen printing system.
Our Making Dye from Lichen and Eco Printing posts are both great ways to make natural crafts at home.
You can make more homemade gifts at a fraction of the cost of shop bought.
There is a simple recipe for Rosemary and Peppermint Foot Scrub.It is easy and cheap to make.You already have everything you will need at home.
It's a lovely gift and can be adapted to suit the taste of the recipient.
Are you a fan of Reed Diffusers but not the price?If any of the homemade reed diffuser oil recipes are as good as the expensive ones you see in the shops, we will test them.
Do you know a way to make colored stamp pad ink?I can't find yellow.
Thank you so much for this post.I am going to try this out.I started a small business a couple months ago and am working on a product that will include hand stamped textiles.I have been trying to find a cheaper and more eco-friendly way to convert my latex paint into fabric paint.I was very excited when I read your post.I am doing a lot of product testing over the next couple weeks and will update once I have a chance to play with it.Thank you in the meantime.That's right.
Good luck with your new business, thank you so much for commenting.I'm looking forward to hearing about your results.
I am so inspired.I would like to thank you for this post.I found a passion for upcycling old chairs after purchasing 5 8oz bottles of Textile Medium.There must be a cheaper way for a set of 6 chairs.I had been mixing the medium with water and latex house paint to get perfect results.I wonder if your recipe would act the same, being painted onto chairs not stamped.The consistency of my fabric was very watery after I wet it.Do you think your mixture would do the same thing?Thank you again!!
I can not say if I have tried it on Raine furniture.One of my readers tried it and shared how she got on.Good luck with your upcycling.
Do you have a recipe for the textile medium?How much paint and medium did you use?I think it's a 2 to 1 ratio, but how does that work?Thanks so much, I will try your recipe.I heard that the paint stays bright.
The fabric medium is made up of one part water and two parts water.You mix the medium with the paint to make a dye.It depends on the thickness of the paint and what you are applying it to.We were thin as we were stamp, but when I painted it I left it a bit thicker.If it seems a little thick for what you need, I would suggest starting with one part medium to five part paint.Hope that helps!
I don't think you can say anything is food safe unless it has been tested in a laboratory, so you have to make your own judgement on that.I can't be more helpful.
We used bottles of paint from the craft store to make fabric paints.I am wondering if we should have used the tubes.There was still something in the jar after shaking vigorously.Are the two types of paints the same?
We have used lots of different brands of paint and never had a problem with it.
I love your idea of fabric paint.I am reading the ingredients and wondering if the textile paint you purchase in a hardward store is the same paint that you use in your car.
Do you think your paint can be used as a rub over a stencil?Will it need to be bigger?
The type of paint you buy in art or craft stores is acrylic.I haven't tried using it with a stencil, but I make my mix up pretty thin to stamp it.If I did, I would try to apply it with a sponge.It is recommended that you test it before you try it on something important.I usually mix it up in small amounts and keep it in jars for a couple of weeks.The jar with the lid on should hold the textile medium mix for a few months.Can you tell me how the stencilling goes?
This is a great idea.I would like to know the ratio of the fabric medium to the paint.
I'm Ryan.As I aim for an ink consistency so the dye doesn't sit on top of the fabric, I have never measured it.You can always add more if you need to, and I think 1:5 would be a good starting point.Hope that helps.
I am proud to say that this fabric medium worked perfectly for my shoes.My friends think it looks fire because it kept the flyknit material soft and flexible.
What a great job you do!Your responses are encouraging.I am wondering if I should wash the curtains after painting them or not.Would the combo recipe be acidic, etching into the fabric in time?
I would like to thank you for your kind comment.It has never occurred to me that the fabric could be damaged by using this method to print curtains.My gut feeling is that it won't.I don't think it's possible to damage cotton with a weak acid like vinegar, since you're diluting it further by mixing it with other ingredients.I can't promise anything but I will try it on plain fabric and not paint it onto antique fabrics.Hope that helps!
I just returned from a trip to India and brought back some wood fabric stamps.I wanted to know how much paint you mix in with the fabric.
It is a lovely place to visit.I would start with 10% of the homemade medium.You can see how thin the paint is in the photos.It prints cleanly if you make an ink consistency.
Is it possible to paint with the same recipe and leave it little thicker?It seems like it has to be stamped with a sponge stamp, but is it more of a dye consistency?Sorry.I am slow in craftwise.
Hi Lora.I think you could leave it a little thicker so that it would sit on the surface of the fabric and be easier to paint with.Give it a go on something you don't care about and see what happens.
I heat set them and didn't steam iron them, they seem fine at the moment, but they have a lot of wear on them.
I am curious to see what happens once they are in full use, as ironing them seems to have stopped the marking.
It's true!I can see it now and they can sit in the lounge or outside on my big solid Jarrah table.I can't do that because I keep looking at the table.We built our home and furniture with Jarrah and burnt it in the stove and pot belly fire when we were younger.Thats life.
I brushed the nap of the fabric.That was good.The fabric was the same and I let it dry for at least a week because I was done with it.I didn't mention that my home made black chalk paint went on well.No prep was the problem.There is a lot of hype about chalk paint.Kicking myself as I should of known better but got sucked into the whole.If I looked at it, it scratched off.I got stuck into the chair frames again when I put the finished cushions aside.After washing them down and drying them, I got stuck in them again, so I stencilled a mandala on the back rest and tomorow.I will take a few pics and let you see how they look.Thanks again.
The old sprung wire seats are covered in a thick apholstery fabric and the chair cushions are not.The frames of the chairs are black chalk paint and they were painted a dark ocean blue.
I would love to see a photo of them.If you share one with me, would you tag me?
Hello, Sarah.I used regular Acrylic paint and added my own home made fabric medium using the Glycol Vinegar and Water, I finally did my dining room chairs.I knew I needed more than the amount in your recipe, so I mixed up a 100ml bottle of Glycol and the Vinegar and Water, have plenty left over, and I was pretty pleased with the results.I'm not sure if this is because I haven't heat sealed the cushions yet or if I can do it with the iron.I painted the frames in chalk and haven't sealed them yet.I am not using wax as they need something a bit more robust.
Sounds like you have been busy!I can't speak from experience because I've never tried painting upholstery.My guess is that the marking is due to the pile of fabric.Did you add all the paint with the brush strokes?I wouldn't heat set them unless I thought the paint was colourfast.I would wait until I was sure they were dry and then try rubbing a hard-to-see area with a white damp cloth and see if any of the colour came off.I would leave if it did not.Does the fabric feel different now that you have painted it?I use an old tea towel to iron through t-shirts that I have used a mix of fabric paint on, but it depends on whether your upholstery fabric can take it and if I can protect the fabric and iron.
I am going to die some upholstery.Does the color bleed after being dry?.It won't be washed.Will it be soft?Thank you.
Hi, I'm Melinda.The colour stayed soft and didn't bleed on the cotton, but I'm not sure how it will behave on a heavier upholstery fabric.I would hate for you to trash a sofa on my say so, so I suggest you test it out on something similar first.We have only printed onto white fabric so you need to think about the coverage you would get if the fabric was a darker colour.Best of luck with your project!
I have never tried Lelia but I would imagine that the thinner consistency that my recipe has would work well.
The shirts were soft but faded when washed.They are old and worn.
Are you still there?I accidentally used acrylic paint to tie dye shirts in the 90s, after realizing that it was permanent.I made shirts for family and friends.I taught preschool, kindergarten, and first grade students how to make their own tie dyed shirts.Adding water to the consistency of cream is possible with two ounce bottles.If it's too thick, it won't absorb.Add more water or paint.T shirts should be laundered and damp.The rubber band twist shirt can be folded.Four year olds can do this on their own.Turn the paint over to check to make sure it's spreadin.I always made sure the fabric was painted.You don't want the fabric to get wet.You must be attentive and active in the drying part.I have dried my hair in the sun, under a ceiling fan, and with a hair dryer.The areas on top of the paint are darker as the water evaporates.I have not seen this effect in regular tie dye.When it's obvious, arrange the shirt with that in mind.As the shirt becomes dryer, you can open up more areas.If it is dry enough, lay it flat, or hang to dry.If you want to make sure your shirts are dry, place them in a hot dryer for 20 minutes or so.They are able to be worn.I used to wash a shirt by hand in cold water before tossing it in the washer.Any stains can be bleached after that.I was brought to this site by a search for fabric medium.If I had a special tie dyed shirt, I would spray it with a spray bottle and put it in a warm place.The colors were sealed in by this.The colors of the crayon pictures were fading when they got wet.I sprayed fabric medium mix on them and that solved the problem.
Pam, thank you for your helpful tips.I hope Lelia will find them useful.Sarah, you're right.
Excellent post!Is it safe for a child to use their hand to print a shirt?Will it be washed off from hands?
Hi, Ruby.It's easy to wash off the water-soluble paint when wet.The handprint is a great idea.
Awesome!We made this in large batches and put it in spray bottles.At the beach, we used sand to make areas we didn't want paint on cotton towels.After spraying the paint, we left them to dry in the sun.They were put in the dryer on high heat after being washed in salty ocean water.The kids love their beach toys.
I am so sorry to hear that.I can only guess that it was an ingredient in your paint that caused it, because I haven't heard of anyone else having the same problem.I can't be more helpful.
I used food grade ingredients.The minerals could affect my water.
I had good results.My child's name was painted on his hockey jersey.The cost of getting screen printed saved me the pain of printing iron-ons.Thank you!
Artists paint Tom.I am not familiar with the different components of house paint but would guess that it wouldn't work so well as it is designed to sit on top of what is going on and could be bad for the fabric.We mixed a few ingredients in a jar and used it to thin our paint until it was like an ink.
Thank you for the recipe.I can't wait to see what you do with your shirt, as we call it in the South, unbleached domestic bags.Thank you so much!
I would like to thank you for giving me the name.You helped me out when I was searching for them for someone in the US.
I teach fabric painting.It didn't occur to me to ink a sponge.Your idea is better than the one we patted on with a sponge brush.I added the textile medium to make my own fabric paint.It doesn't wash out, even if you want it to paint dries fast, but it takes 10 days to cure.You should not wash your shirt after 10 days.It is very important to pre wash your shirt to remove the size from the manufacturer which will affect the absorption of paint on the fabric.Before painting a shirt, don't use fabric softener.I would like to thank you for the article and sponge idea.
It is also known as glycerol.A compound made from plants is used in many industries such as food manufacture and cough medicines.It can be found in the baking aisle.
How pretty!I like the leaf print.It was great that it didn't wash out.
I would love to have dish towels, and I am looking for cheap napkins or cushion covers.
I forgot to say how lovely the stamps look and I can't wait to see what you have up your sleeve.
I have been trying to figure this out for a long time.There is a secret ingredient.Thank you so much for the possibilities.
I haven't tried the paint yet because one visitor thought it would work without the vinegar.It saves money buying the medium.
The chemistry doesn't add up.It shouldn't have had an effect on acrylic paints, and especially on getting them to fix to cellulose fibre.A comparison test with water added to the paint should show the same result.
I never did a comparison test, but I will try watered down paint next time and see if I can see a difference.
It makes sense.When I was a child in the 60's, we always dipped the clothing in a white vinegar solution to set the dye so it wouldn't wash out.I didn't understand how it worked, but we never questioned it.
When I get a chance, I will add it to the list of things to look up.
This is much cheaper than buying fabric paints.Thank you for sharing!Did you use white wine or white vinegar?
I used white wine Lynn, but I am sure any would work as long as it isn't a colour that will affect the colour of the paint.
Looks good.I washed it before and it holds up, but I think it would bleed if watered down, because it is hard.You didn't have any of the problems doing it this way.I will give it a try.Thanks.
We had no problems with it bleeding, and by watering it down the paint is able to soak into the textile a little rather than just sitting on top.Next time we do it, I will try some paint thinned with plain old water to see how it compares to our mixture.
Thanks for sharing a new idea.I will use this crafting to make my own fabrics.
I like to learn new things when I come here.I will have to get some, I don't have any glycerin here.On our side of town, only one place carries the fabric medium, and I use a lot of it on the pillowcases, this would be great for when I don't have any, or even to replace what I'm already using.You are the best!
We aren't very experienced in using fabric paint and have never tried the medium, so be interested to hear how you find our mixture compared to the fabric medium.I think you get through a lot on your cushion covers.
The Craft Invaders has a great idea to use items in your house to make fabric paint.It can be used with large stamps to make your own custom clothing and home decor items.Find out all about it on their website.There is something.
What a great idea, from your cupboard.I pinned this!You have so many great ideas!The club is called #bloggerclubUK.
Thanks a lot, Karen.I like working out how to use items we already have at home.
It's a wonderful idea and one with time.It will be great to refer back to Christmas costume making.Thank you for sharing this post with us.
There are so many times we would have used fabric paint if we had it, and the kids seem to have a lot of random dressing up days at school.
SWizzle sticks, oh my!I bought some fabric medium the other day and I wish I had seen your post.I will look forward to trying your methods.It was pinned, followed and stumbled.
These look great.I didn't know you could make your own fabric paint.Will need to try this out with an agent.
Sarah, what a beautiful idea.The stamp you chose was perfect.The difference is made by the vinegar.For future use.
When I saw the stamp in the pile, I was happy.!I think you could hang the stamp on the wall as a piece of art, it's so lovely.
I like the leaf prints.Looks like a lot of fun.I am going to have to try it.
I wouldn't even think of doing something like this because I'm not an artist or crafter.I am happy that you found something that worked.#BloggerClubUK
I love leaf prints.So beautiful!They would look great on pillows, table runners or totes.The paint is made at home.
This is a great project.I love that you made your own fabric paint.I will be saving this paint recipe so I can try it out.It looks gorgeous!
Thank you, Ilka.I was going to buy fabric paint but it worked out so well that I'm really happy about it.