Hi – Crafty Kate here, I’m going to show you how to use one of our velvet art posters’ as a stamp to create an abstract pattern on a fabric scarf with this easy Paint-N-Press method. This simple and straightforward project requires little artistic skill and will deliver great results for any age group. This project was designed with a distressed finished look that hides imperfections and makes this large textile project fast and fun for everyone. The color selection and design layout you choose will dramatically impact the finished look of each scarf, so everyone ends up with their own unique fabric creation for a home décor craft or personalized fashion accessory.

First, I’ll use my Paint-N- Press method to create an all-over base pattern using black or dark fabric paint and then demonstrate how to tint your patterned scarf with custom colors! So, let’s get crafty, here’s what you’ll need to get started:

• Velvet Art Mandala Posters
• Color Splash Fabric Paint
• Soft Flat Paint Brush
• Cotton Scarf or other smooth fabric Item to decorate
• Newsprint Paper or scrap paper
• Paint Cups
• Thick Kraft Paper & Masking Tape to cover/protect your work surface
• Cup of Water & Paper Towels
• Scrap piece of cardboard- Approx. 12″ x 12″

Instructions:

Start by squeezing a generous amount of the black fabric paint into a paint cup and then add a small amount of water and mix with the brush until you reach a fluid consistency that can be easily brushed onto the absorbent velvet art poster. Be sure to cover your work surface with thick paper as some paint may bleed through the fabric onto the table. I find it least frustrating to tape down the edges of the protective paper to the table to prevent it from slipping during the Paint-N-Press process. Lay your fabric scarf down flat on your covered surface, If space is a concern you can create the pattern on the scarf in smaller sections.

Now you are ready to paint! Place the velvet poster down flat on a piece of scrap cardboard (larger than the 9″ poster) and brush on a layer of the paint mixture covering the mandala design as evenly as possible.  You need to do this step relatively fast before the paint begins to dry, so don’t fuss too long if the paint isn’t brushed on perfectly.  Again, this project was designed with a distressed finished look that hides imperfections and makes this large textile project fast and fun for everyone.

Now that you have applied the paint, it’s time to press! Simply, Flip the painted velvet art poster over and press the paint side down directly onto the fabric scarf and smooth down flat with your hand to transfer the design. Peel the poster away from the fabric and also peel up that area of the fabric off the paper covered work surface to release the wet paint and immediately lay the scarf back down in place. This is important to do this after every Paint-N-Press step so your project doesn’t dry in place and stick to the paper. Now reposition the poster to another area of the scarf and press again. I have found that I can get 2-3 “prints” in between coats of paint.

Repeat this Paint-N-Press process until you have covered the scarf to your liking with the base mandala pattern. After I stamped as many full mandala circles onto my scarf, I decided to use scissors and cut my velvet poster down to a 5” diameter circle so I had a smaller, patterned mandala stamp to fill in the remainder of the open spaces. I started to run low on black fabric paint, so I mixed in some dark blue with my black paint and water mixture to complete my all-over base pattern. Remembering to peel and release the painted fabric away from the paper surface after each press while it’s wet to avoid a sticky, sad craft disaster. Once you have covered your scarf with the base pattern, hang dry.

Lay your patterned scarf out flat on your protected work surface and prepare your paint/water mixture one color at a time, light colors first. Using a large flat brush or sponge paint directly over the base pattern overlapping the colors as desired, experiment and play!

Here are some finished shots of my scarf being repurposed a couple different ways. Here it is laid out as a table runner and also as a dresser scarf:

About the Author:

Kate Algiere aka “Crafty Kate” is now our Product/Content Marketing Specialist here at S&S Worldwide. Kate has been with S&S for 13 years and started as an Sales Representative. Since late 2012, she’s been a valuable member of our merchandising department.

Kate is a VERY talented artist with great organizational skills. Did you know that Kate is the artist behind many popular velvet art posters and other S&S-exclusive crafts? She’s also very involved in testing new crafts to see if they meet our standards for fun and quality.

With Kate’s vast knowledge of our products and customers, we think she’s the perfect person to take over some blogging and social activities and we hope you all agree!!