Things You'll Need:
- fabric for what you want to make
- rubber stamps
- fabric stamp ink/s
- sponge brush, ink tray
- masking tape or pins or both
- non-porous work-surface
- nonporous liner for garments (wax paper, plastic or aluminum foil
- iron (if ink is used it needs to be heat-set)
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Step 1
Buy fabric for the project you want to make, and allow an extra 1/4 to 1/2 yard piece or a duplicate item in the same fabric for practice. Whether you purchase from a craft store, fabric store or catalog, it is important to know the fabric content you are printing on. Different fibres absorb the wide variety of inks available in different ways (an ink will not produce the same results on coarse-woven cotton that it will on a synthetic or fine-textured silk). A napped fabric, such as velvet, requires different techniques and materials to produce print. Your extra piece is for practice and lets you try out different stamps, inks and techniques to get the results you want on your final project.
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Step 2
Buying stamps and inks for the first time is best done "hands-on," in a store rather than from a catalog. When you're buying a stamp look for clear-cut outlines and details. Stamps mounted on wood or plastic bases are easier for beginners to use than those without. Find inks best suited to your fabric. In addition to color and printing quality, decide on whether your ink should be transparent or opaque. One crafter notes that transparent inks often get lost on dark fabric, no matter what the color. "Puffy" and "sparkly" inks are probably best used after you've had a little practice.
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Step 3
Set up your practice surface and decide whether there are special things you will need to do. The most common mistake in printing a garment, such as a t-shirt, is to lay it on a flat surface and print. Oops! Inks so carefully stamped on the front side of the shirt bleed through to the back, giving you a dolphin on the front and blotches and streaks on the back. Special tip: Line the garment with foil, saran or paper to prevent "bleeding." Other things will come up as you practice.
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Step 4
Practice all the steps you will need to do during your final project. Buying stamps and inks is only part of producing a successful fabric-stamped project. That means following all the directions on your materials. Check to see if this ink wants damp fabric or dry. Practice securing your material with tape or pins so that nothing slips or wrinkles. Practice putting ink on your stamp with a brush versus. dipping it in an ink-tray. Practice heat-setting, if required, with your iron.
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Step 5
Save your remnants. If stamping looks like a craft you really want to pursue, save your practice-pieces. Pin or tape a note to each, noting fabric content and ink type and brand. Your practice "portfolio" may wind up looking like a rag-bag, but it's an invaluable font of information for future projects, and unused portions of practice fabrics can be used to try out new stamps and inks.
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Step 6
Check out the wealth of additional stamps and inks and fabrics available on-line and through catalogs once you've finished practicing and are confident of your technique. You're ready now to shop like a pro. Have fun and wait for the compliments to come rolling in.
