| Fabric Painting |
From "Ask DIY"
episode ADI-203 |
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Q: Many of the ready-made curtains are rather plain, but they are cheaper and I don't have to do any sewing. How can I use fabric paint to customize the look of my store bought curtains?
A: (Nancy Golden, Ask DIY Decorating & Design Expert) Here's what you do: Materials:
Ready-made tab curtain
Fabric paint
Stamps
Artist's paint brushes
- Go to the home store and pick out what type of tab curtain you want to use. There are lots of different options including cotton, cotton/polyester blends, tapestry and velvet. I started with a cotton muslin tab curtain.
- Wash and dry the curtain even if it says it's pre-shrunk.
- Go to the craft store and read labels to buy the appropriate type of fabric paint for the fabric you've selected.
- If you like, paint designs on your curtain with a brush, free hand. If you're not comfortable with that, try stamps. Pour some of the paint onto a disposable plate "palette." Dip a brush into the paint and then load it onto the stamp ( figure A). For an earthy, subtle look that blends with the muslin, try a copper metallic paint.
- Place a piece of cardboard underneath the fabric you'll stamp to make sure no paint comes out on the other side. Then make sure you place your paint-loaded stamp on the fabric in one move -- don't wiggle it around. Press it firmly into the fabric.
- Lift the stamp off the fabric with one clean jerk, too (figure B). But if it's not perfect, don't fret. You want it to look handmade.
- Set dried paint by ironing the reverse side of the fabric where you've stamped.
- Freehand a square of paint around the stamped patterns. Fabric really absorbs a lot of paint, so be sure to load your brush. If you want it to be a perfect square, make a cardboard template to use. Let the paint dry 24 hours.
- Just to add a little more pizzazz, make some polka dots around the edge with a paint pen. That gives the design almost a primitive look. If you don't have a paint pen, dip the end of a paintbrush in paint for the same effect.
- Consider applying another stamp directly on the curtain tabs. And if you like, wrap some wire leaves around the tabs to finish the designer look.
More Questions for Nancy:
Q: I have a powder room that is wallpapered and I would like to paint it. Can I paint over the wallpaper?
A: I don't recommend it and most painters will refuse to do it. But if the wallpaper is attached very securely and you use a nail file to smooth any seams that are popping, you can try it.
Q: I want to paint some cartoon characters on one of the walls in my baby's room. I prefer to use a paint that could be easily repainted one day. Is there a paint that won't bother her with the smell?
A: There really isn't a paint that's not going to have any kind of odor. But if you use an acrylic paint from the craft store and a soft, pastel palette, you'll be able to paint over it and it won't smell as badly as the paint from the paint store.
Q: I have a dresser that I want to refinish. I want to use a distressed paint technique, however, the front of the dresser is a veneer. Can I paint over it?
A: Yes, you can, but it's an ambitious project. You must treat the veneer as you would any old wood. You have to clean it, sand it, tack it, prime it . . . it's a job. Web site resources for Fabric Painting: Painting on Fabric from HGTV.Com Marbling on Fabric from HGTV.Com Painted Bed Linen from DIYNET.Com Books: 100 Keys to Great Fabric Painting
by Julia Richardson
ISBN: 0891347542
North Light Books (1996)
1507 Dana Ave.
Cincinnati, OH 45207-1005
Phone: 513-531-2690
E-mail: datac@fwpubs.com Fabric Dyeing and Painting
by Kate Wells
ISBN: 18830110357
Interweave Press, Inc. (1997)
201 E. Fourth St.
Loveland, CO 80537
Phone: 970-669-7642
Fax: 970-667-8317
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