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Bring life to old clothes: Get started with painting on clothing
Using painting on your clothing to up-cycle them
Maybe you have a lot of clothes in your wardrobe that you have gotten a little bored of, but you still love them and feel attached to them (don’t i know that feeling). If you enjoy painting, then painting on clothes could be a great way to make them like new again. By adding colour and pattern they will look and feel like new again. You will be able to extend their life, spend less on new clothes and be creative at the same time. It is a great way to reduce our footprint too and help the planet a little more!
Below you will find the materials you need to get started and some simple ideas of what you could paint.
Materials
Other tools/materials you will need to have at hand:
- paper towel (to wipe your brushes)
- newspaper to place under the clothes you are painting
- Water
- Iron
Getting started
I will tell you my process, which by no means is the only one, but this is how i like to get started.
- Research: Do a short search online to find things that inspire me. It could be looking at other projects on Pinterest or searching for a particular picture of something i want to paint on my clothes. I gather the images that i find inspiring and have them at hand. You can print out something you really like as a reference or just make a mood board/gallery of the images on your computer.
- I get some drawing materials together or my ipad if i want to be quick. Creating a small sketch, or few ideas before painting on my own clothing makes me feel more safe i will create something i love. When i have few designs i really like then i know i am ready to start painting.
- My idea is set so i clear my desk and get all my painting materials ready. I mix and test the colours before starting to be sure they are the colours i want.
- I find it helpful to have few different brushes for different colours, as fabric paint tends to stay a little bit between the bristles. Also i use a palette that is solely for fabric painting as when the paints dry out don’t come off. So don’t ruin your favourite palette!
Start painting
- The fun part: painting on my clothing! I take my time and have fun. It is important to know that fabric paint dries and you can’t use it again, so don’t take too much out of the bottle. You can estimate depending on the surface you are painting, but if in doubt use less and add more later.
- When you are done painting, let your clothing dry. You can then iron it on the wrong side of the fabric to set the paint. This way, it will last when you wash your clothes. Make sure to also put another piece of clothing under not to transfer any paint on your ironing board.
- Wear your new item and let everyone know you have customised it yourself!
Next week i am posting a tutorial on how i created the daisy painting on the jeans pockets. If you would like to stay updated and get access to my Freebies Library Sign up to my Newsletter.
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