How to Paint Lace

Lace painting serves as a decorative and neat task.

A fun craft project is painting the lace accents of curtains, blankets or other items. It's not difficult to paint lace, but it does require a light touch and patience. With the right technique, you can add splashes of color to an otherwise plain item by painting the lace on it.

Things You'll Need

• Paper plate
• Assorted fabric paint tubes
• Paintbrush set
• Lace doily

Instructions

1. 

   Lace-trimmed items are common in many homes.

   Place a lace doily or other lacy item flat on some newspaper in front of you. The newspaper or other disposable paper serves as a protective layer between the lace and your work-surface.

2. Squeeze a few dollops of fabric paint onto a paper plate. This creates a disposable paint palate to use for this project. Choose a variety of your favorite colors or colors that correspond with the theme you are creating.

3. Dip the tip of a fine bristled paintbrush into the color of your choice on your paper plate palate. Drag the tip through the paint to saturate the bristles.

4. Apply the paint to the outer edge of the doily gently with the paintbrush. Apply the paint in a dabbing motion to the outer edge. On a white doily this creates a beautiful accent border regardless of the paint color you choose. Let it dry for 10 minutes.

5. Repeat the dabbing motion in various areas of the doily to give it more color. Place a stencil over the center of the doily to help guide you in making intricate designs.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember, dabbing motions are what applies the paint without penetrating the delicate lace fabric while adding the color.

• Do not sweep or scrub the paint on, doing so makes it penetrate the fabric, and may cause the color to bleed.

Resources

• Your Decorative Painting Resource: Painting Fabric Resources