It's even a great idea for a Mother's Day gift *cough* (men) *cough. (Maybe that comment is why I remain single....). You don't necessarily need to create a tote, but you can create a shirt, or jazz up a towel....the possibilities are endless! You could even paint up your child's foot or hands and "stamp" them onto the fabric!
Here's what you need:
-Fabric paint.
-Sponges or round thick-bristled paint brushes (not too large).
-Stencils (you can create your own if you have access to a Cricut). Also, I got some stencils cheap at Walmart that I can keep reusing, and they have a sticky back which works well for fabric if you don't want them to move while you're stencil-ing away.
-Plain canvas tote (Go to Michaels and use a 40% or 50% off coupon....that will work out cheaper than Walmart).
-Iron.
-Parchment paper.
-Access to a sink or bucket of water (for dipping the paint brushes/sponges into).
*Before you begin:
Make sure that before you jump in and just start painting, you wash and dry the tote, and then iron it out so it's nice and flat. You don't necessarily need to iron both sides of the tote. One side (the side you're painting) works just fine!
All you need to do:
1. Layout the paint that you wish to use in little blobs on some parchment paper. You won't need lots of paint, just a little. It's like that saying, "a little _____, goes a long way."
2. Once you've washed and dried the tote and ironed it out, decide what you want your end product to look like. You may even want to do a test run on some old fabric or paper before you jump in. I rarely have the patience to do that...so I usually just jump in with my fingers crossed that I don't mess up.....
*Place a file folder or piece of cardboard in the tote before you begin - that way if the paint seeps through a bit, it doesn't go through to the other side*
3. Place your first choice of stencil on your tote where you want it to be.
4. Dip your brush or sponge in the paint that you wish to apply to the first stencil. Dab it over the stencil like you are sponge painting (even if you are using a brush) - don't apply the paint like you are painting (it never looks as good...).
4. Once the paint has been applied to that particular stencil, carefully remove the stencil. I say "carefully" because you don't want any paint from the edges of the stencil to hit the tote as you lift it up.
5. Repeat steps 3-5 as many times as you need to (depending on how many stencil designs you wish to apply).
6. Once your tote (or other project) is complete, let it dry for a good 12 hours. I wouldn't wash this tote for a few weeks - let the paint set in.
7. Gift it up!
See! Easy! It makes a great gift idea! *cough* men *cough* for Mothers Day from the kids! *cough*
Here's the one I created for part of my mom's birthday gift:
A.A.
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