Printing on fabric with natural materials

This tutorial is really easy, and would be a perfect project for a craft party or an afternoon in front of the fireplace. Just have fun with it – there are plenty of motifs to inspire you, as you’ll see below.


You will need:
- Cotton tote bags
- Newspaper
- Cardboard
- An apple, a potato, a branch with leaves
- A kitchen knife
- Brushes and sponges
- Paint rollers
- Fabric paint

Apple stamp:


Cover your work surface with old newspapers to prevent spills and stains. Place a sheet of cardboard or several sheets of paper inside the tote bag to prevent the paint from staining the other side. To get a fun apple motif, just cut an apple in half and dry the cut surfaces with a paper towel.



Paint one half with fabric paint in whichever colour you like. Don’t forget to paint the apple stem, too!



It’s important to re-paint the apple half after each stamping, then your print will be uniform instead of getting lighter.
Potato stamp:





As with the apple, cut the potato in half and wipe the surface with a paper towel. Cut the shape of a leaf out of the cut potato half, using a kitchen knife. Then coat the apple in fabric paint, as before. You could also try cutting out an anchor shape, or any other shape – the same principle applies.



Stamp your fabric tote bag with the potato half. And as before, repaint the potato between stampings!
Leaf impressions:



Find a branch with plenty of leaves that has a nice shape which will still be recognisable after printing. Place the branch on top of the bag first to make sure it fits to the size. Then put the branch down on your newspaper and paint one side of it, not forgetting the stem. Put the branch on the bag, with the painted surface face down, and then put a clean sheet of paper on top.



To transfer the colour, roll a paint roller over the paper from the bottom up or the top down, applying even pressure. Remove the sheet of paper in a quick, firm movement with one hand, to make sure the paint doesn’t smudge.

And you’re done!