Stamp your own fabric - Budget edition with Hanne

Yesterday was all about fabric stamping like a pro. Let me make a confession, that's not how I stamp my fabric... I will definitely take Anneke's advice when I attempt my next fabric stamping project! As I'm also an art teacher, I do know how to stamp fabric on a real tight budget (hello budget cuts in school, you make me very inventive!) So, if you are on a budget or would like to try out if you like fabric stamping before you buy the expensive stuff, today's tutorial explains just how to do that!

What you need

• Paintbrushes
• old cloth
• box knife
• isolation foam (ask a friend who's renovating)
• Tex Medium (for example this one by Creall)
• Gouache paint
• tooth picks
• fabric to stamp on!

How to proceed

Cut a piece of isolation foam as big as you like it. I use small pieces in my classes, but you can use bigger pieces if you want a bigger print and less repeats. The foam is quite thick, so be careful not to cut yourself! Use a toothpick to carve out shapes in your piece of foam. What's on the surface will be printed, what's carved away will not be printed! You can draw onto the foam with pencil first, or just go freestyle! Make a mixture of your textile medium and the gouache. For Creall Tex Medium, which I use, it's 1 part Tex Medium, 1 part gouache. The medium makes the paint appear lighter, but it will dry to the original color. If you want to mix paints, make sure to do so before adding Tex Medium! Apply evenly with a brush to your stamp surface. Stamp away! You can also use random household tools such as empty tape rolls, toilet paper tubes, half clothespins, bubble plastic (is that a word?) and so on! Don't forget to make it wash cycle proof (on 30°C) by ironing it. Place a press cloth between the dry paint and the iron! Have you ever tried fabric stamping? Got extra tips to share? Let us know in the comments!