How to Paint Tapestry
Traditionally, the seamstresses of old would sew tapestries by hand and completely from scratch, interlocking each stitch with the surrounding colors to create intricate woven scenes. This technique produced the tapestries we know today, such as the Unicorn Tapestries. Alternatively, the seamstress could stitch colorful designs directly onto a background cloth. This is the technique used to construct the famous Bayeux Tapestry. However, modern artists can use a shortcut. Instead of actually weaving the tapestry from scratch, you can paint your tapestry directly onto an already existing cloth using commercial fabric paint. Fabric paint yields bright, safe, long-lasting colors that are easily applied using simple brushes or pens.
Things You'll Need
- Fabric paint
- Newspaper
- Cloth
- Sewing machine
- Iron
- Ironing board
- Brushes
- Washing machine
Instructions
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1
Fold the edges of the tapestry inward by a 1/4 inch, and then fold them a second time. Pin the folds down and sew along them to create a hem on your tapestry.
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2
Fold the top of the tapestry down by 1 inch and sew along it to create a loop through which you can string a thread or pole to hang the tapestry.
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3
Lay down three layers of newspaper and put your tapestry cloth on top of it.
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4
Paint your tapestry using fabric paint. Fabric paint comes in either opaque or translucent varieties. Opaque paint creates bold, colorful effects, while translucent paint shows some of the color of the fabric underneath. You can use any kind of paintbrush with the fabric paint, although using stencils will help you to create crisp lines that are difficult to achieve with brushwork alone.
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5
Allow the paint half an hour to dry. Fabric paint dries very quickly, but you want to be sure that it is not at all wet before proceeding.
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6
Place the tapestry on an ironing board and iron the tapestry for five to seven minutes. Fabric paint heat sets into a permanent design. If you do not do this, it will likely wash out. Do not let the iron rest too long on any one part of the tapestry or you will burn it.
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7
Wash the tapestry in a washing machine with similar colors or by itself. Your tapestry is now ready to hang.
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References
- Photo Credit old tapestry image by sumos from Fotolia.com
