Ink Effects Fabric Paint

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January 8, 2015

I've been working with DecoArt Ink Effects paints. Traditionally, you would paint an image on regular copy paper and then use your iron to transfer the image to fabric. The ink works similar to a dye in that it isn't an iron on and doesn't affect the feel of the fabric.

I started to think about other ways Ink Effects could be used. What if you couldn't paint well? Could you still use the product? The answer is yes of course. You can trace or fill in an image similar to a coloring book technique. But, I came up with a different technique. In this application you apply random marks to fill the paper. This could be done with children if you so desire.

ink on paper

Then once the paint is dry, you cut out a shape. I used my Cricut Expression machine to cut out leaf shapes. You could follow a template shape with a scissor or even use a paper punch to create the shapes. Then I ironed the shapes to fabric just as the directions suggest.

getting ready to cut the painted paper

once the images were cut, they weren't completely covered in ink so I went back and filled in any open areas.

The fabric I used was a placemat from the dollar store. I didn't pay attention to the fabric content of the back side of the fabric and unfortunately mine had a bit of plastic in it that started to shrink.

leaves on fabric prior to ironing

I also chose a tan colored fabric. If I were to do it again, I would use white fabric. My plan is to take this placemat, fold it in half and sew it into a bag by adding a zipper to the top. I was thinking about using it as a makeup bag for travel. I might need to remove the backing fabric and rethink the construction of the bag . I am happy with the outcome and I will definitely use this technique again.