Skill Level
Beginner
Time to Make
1 hour
Adult Supervision
Yes
Top Tip
Printed patterns will show up more clearly if you keep the dye colours on the bag fairly light.
How to Make
- Wash the bag by hand then squeeze out most of the water until it is damp.
- Place the polythene sheet from the kit on your work surface.
- Place the bag flat on top then pull out any creases or wrinkles.
- Wearing the disposable gloves in the kit, follow the instructions adding water to the dye bottle and applying it onto the fabric.
- Choose 2 colours (or more if you like) to use for dying the bag.
- Choose colours that will blend easily together, for example dark blue and turquoise or orange and red.
- Leave the bag to dry for 6-8 hours over a bowl with newspaper or paper towel underneath. Rinse the bag in water then leave it to dry out again. Printed patterns:
- Before adding a printed pattern on the bag, cut a piece of card to fit inside so the stamping or stencilling doesn’t seep through onto the reverse side. Make sure the dye is fully dried before printing a pattern on top. Stamping:
- Use a sponge dabber to apply fabric paint onto the surface of a flower foam stamper. Carefully press the flower onto the bag. Leave to dry. Lettering:
- Use a sponge dabber to apply fabric paint onto the surface of a wooden letter. Carefully place the letter onto the bag then press firmly to make a print. To apply more pressure, use a roller. Carefully lift up the letter up holding it at the edge so the paint doesn’t smudge. Leave to dry. Polystyrene Printing:
- Draw a simple shape (eg. a leaf) onto polystyrene then cut it out to make a printing block. To add more detail, use a pencil or ballpoint pen to emboss lines into the polystyrene. Use a sponge dabber to apply fabric paint onto the surface of the polystyrene then carefully press it onto the bag. Press firmly to make a print, to apply more pressure use a roller. Lift up the polystyrene and make more prints to cover the bag. Leave to dry. Stencilling:
- Stick a flower stencil over the bag with masking tape, making sure they as flat as possible. Use a sponge dabber to apply fabric paint over the stencil, remove the tape then lift up the stencil. Clean the stencil before making another print.
- Follow the instructions on packaging for permanently setting textile paints.
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