How to Create a Gift Using Fabric Pens
If you are giving a gift to someone and want to be sure not to give her something that she already has, you can make your own gift. When you give a homemade gift, you know that it's truly one of a kind, and you can customize your craft based on the recipient's tastes and interests. Fabric pens can be used to decorate and personalize many types of fabric crafts. Fabric pens are designed to let you write or draw easily on fabric, and the ink will stay on the fabric even when washed.
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Things You'll Need
- Two white pillowcase
- Fabric pens in assorted colors
- Cardboard
- Safety pins
- Index cards
- 1/4-inch-wide ribbon
Instructions
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Prepare the pillowcases by washing, drying and ironing them.
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Cut a piece of cardboard the same size as your pillowcases. Place the cardboard inside one pillowcase. This will prevent the ink from the fabric pens from going through the fabric to the other side of the pillowcase.
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Lay the pillowcase on a table. Draw a 1-inch-diameter flower in each corner of the pillowcase. Use the same color for all four flowers.
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Create a border connecting all the flowers by drawing a green vine with leaves between each flower. Draw smaller flowers that look like they're growing from the vines; use the same color as the corner flowers.
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In the center of the pillowcase, write the name of the gift recipient in a decorative style of lettering. Draw flowers and vines coming out of the letters. The name should look like vines that have grown into words.
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Flip the pillowcase over. Draw 1-inch flowers of the same style as on the front of the pillowcase in a checkerboard pattern, leaving 1 inch between each flower. Cover as much of the back of the pillowcase as you like. In the space between each flower, draw a ¼-inch-diameter dot in a complementing color.
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Set the ink by following the manufacturer's instructions for the fabric pens, as setting methods can vary based on the type of fabric pen you are using. One method is to heat-set the ink by holding an iron on the back side of the pillowcase, moving the iron around and holding it in each spot for 10 seconds to set the entire design.
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Fold each pillowcase, both the decorated one and the plain one, in half. Roll them neatly into cylinder shapes and tie a ribbon around each cylinder.
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Write care instructions for the decorated pillowcase, based on the fabric-pen manufacturer's instructions, onto a small index card. For example, it may be suggested to wash the pillowcases inside-out. Attach the card to the edge of the pillowcase with a safety pin.
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Tie the fabric pens together with a ribbon. Write directions for decorating the extra pillowcase on a small index card and attach the card to the ribbon.
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Wrap both pillowcases and the fabric pens together as a gift set.
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Tips & Warnings
Put a picture of yourself and the gift recipient under the pillowcase and trace the picture onto the pillowcase for gift that commemorates your special relationship.
For a memento of a special occasion, write a message such as "Congratulations on Your Achievement" or "Happy Birthday" on the pillowcase.
Give pillowcases and fabric pens to girls at a slumber party. This gives them an activity to do and a gift to take home with them.
