Creating your own DIY splatter paint fabric is quick, easy, and oh so fun! If you’re willing to get a little messy, you can create a masterpiece. Check out this short video of Madi and I creating the splatter paint fabric I used in my “Splatter” collection.
Basically, the steps are to find a large area to work where you can get a little messy. Spread out a drop cloth or use an old shower curtain to catch any over drips. The fabric we used here is a bright white canvas. The fabric is nice and tightly woven and stiff enough to take the ink without it bleeding too much. If you can’t find a canvas like this, experiment with a small section of your possible fabric to see how it will absorb the ink before going all in.
Then we used an assortment of fabric inks I had on hand and mixed up colors we liked or just used the colors straight out of the tub. We mixed those inks with a little water so they would be on the runny side and could easily be sucked up in the droppers. Then Madi had a lot of fun dripping the ink onto the fabric. Play with the rights you drip from and how much you control the flow of the ink to get different sizes and densities of drips. I recommend letting one color dry a little before moving onto the next color so you maintain the definition between the two.
After drying, we took the fabric inside and cut out several pencil pouches using the free pattern from Noodlehead. I have a large collection of old zippers and scrap fabric for the lining. Madi and I just stash dove until we found combinations we liked that went without splatter fabric. Because the canvas is already fairly heavyweight, I only added interfacing to the lining.
Then I followed the sewing directions as outlined by Noodlehead to make the pencil pouches. While I worked, Madi hand-stitched a small pouch with a little guidance from me. To get through the tough canvas, I had her pre-punch every 1/4in using an awl before sewing with her needle. This is likely the project I would do with students in the classroom because once I got her rolling, she needed little help to complete a very cute pouch. It secures with sticky velcro.
The Noodlehead Pencil Pouch pattern is easy to use. I finished several pouches in just a few hours. With the remainder of the splatter fabric, I completed a few additional projects, including three lined tote bags and some smaller pouches.
The entire “Splatter” collection will be available in the Etsy shop and at the Perry County Council of the Arts Gallery shop during the holiday Artisan Market which runs September 24, 2022, through January 12, 2023. As always, thank you for supporting my handmade business. Stay creative friends! Janice
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(©2022, Janice Bailor // laruedefleurs.com)