Hand-Stamped T-shirt Totebag II (The Sequel: with Veggies!)

When you're talking fruit and vegetable stamping, a change of seasonal harvest can herald a whole new palette of patterns and textures to print with. And with them, a whole new no-sew T-shirt totebag tutorial -- this time, with fringe! Before the summer fruits and veggies officially relinquish their harvest reign to the autumn root vegetables (reminder: potato printing=boring!), see what you can scavenge from the last of the September haul to make some colorful T-shirt prints -- and a sturdy T-shirt tote to bring to next weekend's farmers market! Behold, this fall's hottest accessory (see this summer's no-sew tote here)....

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Chevron Ombre Pillow Case

I've never been happier about gas than I am right now. I don't usually get excited when I hear the work chevron because all I seem to think about is the big bold red and blue shape that takes all of my moolah.  However there is one thing I get really excited about and that is fabric paint. You can do so many great things with tulip fabric paint! Shapes, patterns and designs that are in your head can finally come to life. No special orders, no waiting for someone to make it, just you and the paint. That is all you need to create fun awesome things! Today we are making a chevron ombre pillow case that you can throw on a bed, couch or outdoors like I did.

1,2,3 LET GO!

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DIY Jeans with Printed Cuffs

 

Sometimes a simple solution can be the best, I love the subtle color and pattern on these DIY Jeans with Printed Cuffs. For those who don’t want to wear an allover printed pair of jeans this is a perfect solution. A subtle pop of color at the ankles adds an unexpected touch and just the right amount of color. Combine them with this seasons brightly colored jeans, you'll have a fun and on trend pair of DIY Jeans with Printed Cuffs.

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Logo Bag to Fun Tote

Bags and totes are a lot like shoes; you can never have too many of them.  While I enjoy a free bag, I don't necessarily like bags with big logos or advertising on them.  So, here's a simple solution to make a logo bag into a fun, useable tote.

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How to Make DIY Mondrian Fabric

Have you ever made your own custom fabric that's totally all your own?  In our studios, we make our own custom fabrics all the time!  One design we love is the Mondrian-inspired fabric that designer Lauri Eaton creates using Tulip Soft Paint and masking tape.  It turns out so cool and uber modern.  You might just want to make your own for custom upholstery jobs like the chair above or to cover pillows or lampshades. Here's how you do it!

What you need: – 4 oz Tulip Soft Paints in colors of your choice

– 1 to 2 yards of white fabric (we used white canvas for ours)

– 1 inch and 1/4" rolls of masking tape

– Large paintbrush

– Styrofoam or paper plates for paint palettes

– Large table or space to lay out your fabric

Before you begin: Pour your paints onto your plates so you have a handy palette for each color.  Also iron your fabric and lay it flat onto your surface. Secure it in place with your masking tape.

Now you will want to start taping! Unroll your tape and arrange in random diagonal shapes. Get artful with the placement of you wide and thin strips of tape.

Start to fill in each taped area with paint.  Lauri chose to alternate colors as she went, so that colors were evenly distributed all over the fabric.  Make sure to be careful and stay within the tape lines for the most precise look!

This is what the fabric looks like right before it was finished. As you can see, Lauri used the colors sparingly, while black was the main color distributed all over the fabric. This makes the color pops even more dramatic!  Once you are finished painting and before it is completely dry, you will want to start removing the tape.  If you let the paint dry totally, sometimes parts of the tape will want to stick to the fabric when you peel it away.

Now the fun part!  The reveal!  Lauri pulls the tape off of the fabric. Just be careful not to get paint from your fingers or excess tape onto the white parts of the fabric. Keep a trash can handy to immediately throw the tape away! Let the fabric dry completely 4-6 before you wash.

Here's the final product in use on this awesome chair Lauri made. For the full Mondrian-Inspired Chair here.

What project would you like to try using this awesome fabric painting technique?

Decorate an Umbrella with Fabric Paint!

They say that April showers bring May flowers. And in some parts of the country this year there've even been April flurries to herald in the blooms! While Mother Nature keeps us on our toes, here's a colorful springtime project that really brings the flowers when it rains. It's just one of a slew of ways to decorate an umbrella with paint (because let's face it, sometimes a purple umbrella isn't quite bright enough). It's part pop art (a gumball machine!), part impressionism (Monet's gardens at Giverny) -- and a whole lot of color to brighten any dreary day! We often think of fabric paints in the context of T-shirts and other wearables, but it's fun to experiment with paint on other fabric-based surfaces: embellished pillows, couches, canvas director chairs, curtains, and...umbrellas!

What you need:
-a plain umbrella
-Tulip Soft Fabric Paint in a variety of colors 

(I used Azalea, Lime, Mandarin Orange, Linen, Crimson Red Matte, and Holiday Green Matte)
-Tulip Sponge Pouncers (foam paintbrushes)
-paper plate (to use as a paint palette)

Check out the how-to video I did for About.com, or scroll down to follow the step-by-step photos.

Open the umbrella (I know it's considered bad luck, but you'll have to get over it -- or take the project outside if the weather's nice!). Squeeze one paint color onto your palette and use the pouncer to start making dots around the perimeter of the umbrella. Make them close together at the bottom of the umbrella and space them farther apart toward the top.

Wash and dry the pouncer before changing colors, or start with a fresh brush. Squeeze out a new dollop of paint and press dots around the base of the umbrella, interspersed with the first color. Reinforce the fabric surface on the inside of the umbrella with your other hand (just slide it under, palm up).

Continue to add colors the same way, and your "garden" will grow more and more lush. It's repetitive, but incredibly meditative, too!

When you've added all of your colors, let the umbrella fabric dry completely. Now that you've completed this "rainy day activity," you can take part in a new one: go outside with your umbrella and jump in the puddles!

It's a nice vibrant splash of color while we wait for the flowers to poke through.

R2D2 Toms Tutorial

While I was perusing pinterest the other day I came upon some hand-painted R2D2 Toms.  I knew my boys would flip over them and I already had some gray plain Toms for one of them.  They were destined to become R2D2 Toms and I set out to make some myself.

I pulled out the Toms and some pictures of R2D2 to look at while painting.

I taped off the front half of the shoe and used my Tulip soft fabric paint in metallic silver to paint the toes.

Then I painted the upper half white.

I used my Tulip fabric markers to draw in the shapes.

 I used the blue marker to color in the shapes.

The blue worked really well on the white, but it didn't show quite as well over the silver, so I got out my 3-D paint pens for the rest.

After the paint dried I went back and outlined all the black one more time and called them done.

Now I just have to wait for my son to wake up and see them all done in the morning.  I can't wait!

the "All By Myself" Tee - part 2

Due to the great response on the original "All By Myself Tee," I thought I'd show you a different version that's just as easy for kids to make.  My kids are getting a little older and more than having me make something for them, their greatest thrill is when I let them make something for themselves.  This one even my three-year-old was able  to do.

We got some blank tees and I got out some painter's tape.  I taped diagonal lines on both shirts as shown.  I even extended the tape a little so that the actual was taped to the table.  That way it wouldn't shift on them if they got a little aggressive with the paintbrush :)

Then I got out a plate of Tulip fabric paint for each boy.  I picked colors they liked, but also ones that I thought would work well on the shirt they had.  Then I let them go for it.  

They actually did pretty well.  The paint went under the tape in a couple little spots, but the overall t-shirt design lends itself to that messy skater look.  The boys also mixed colors as they painted, which turned out really cool.  It's funny how they are so unlimited in their design process as kids.  They just have fun.  If their paint was really blotchy I smoothed it over for them, but other than that they did it themselves.

I think their favorite part was taking off the tape.  Then they begged to try on the shirts.  We got out a blowdryer to speed up the dry time.  

And they were pretty impressed with themselves.

This is how they roll.

And that's a wrap.

Neon Fabric Spray Paint Shirt DIY + Video Tutorial

Love to rock out in neon colors?  Then this DIY project is for you!  In her "DIY on the FLY" video series, Brandi shows you how to make a fun neon fabric spray paint tank using a neon pack of Tulip Fabric Spray Paints available at Michaels and JoAnn!
If you're looking for a fun craft for your next party, we guarantee your guests will love playing with the neon sprays!

The Tulip Fabric Sprays work great on shirts, totes, shoes, canvas art, fabric accessories and so much more!  

Tulip ScreenIt: Everything you need to know!

Click here to see the exclusive Tulip ScreenIt site.

We are super excited over here at iLoveToCreate because we launched the new Tulip ScreenIt machine!


Just like a sewing machine and a glue gun, we feel this is a must-have tool for every crafter, artist, designer - not to mention moms, teachers, business owners, etc. Anyone who has ever wanted to easily silkscreen their original images far and wide - we thought of you while designing this system!


This machine is lighter than a sewing machine and is very portable. It comes with pre-emulsified screens, that you burn your design into with an image printed or drawn onto a sheet of lightweight copier paper. Once your screen is burned, you simply rinse it, let it dry and then use the machine's base to slide under your surface so you can add your favorite Tulip Soft Paint color.


Okay, that is the simplified version. But it really it is very easy to use!

We have an entire website dedicated to all things ScreenIt, so you can learn all you need to know!

- Where to buy it 
- How to use it
- Frequently Asked Questions and even our in-house designers' tips!
- Free designs for you to use

Are you excited? What would you like to make with a Tulip ScreenIt? Leave a comment below and let  us know!

No Sew Headbands

While I love to sew, I also like to throw in a project that doesn't require sewing because it reaches a lot of people who might not have a sewing machine.  These little headbands literally took 2 minutes to make and I used old t-shirts to make them.  You can make them for any age person.

Just gather some old t-shirts and get out your scissors.  I used Aleene's Peel and Stick Tape, but you could also use fabric fusion as well.  (I just like the no mess of dry adhesives.)

Now, I don't like to give an exact length of the headband because not only are head sizes different, but every knit fabric stretches differently as well.  Some are super stretchy and others are more tight.  This measurement was for a small baby.  You need one rectangle big enough to go around the head and another to wrap your seam.

Once your rectangle is the right size you'll cut a piece of the Peel and Stick Tape.  It's sticky on one side and has paper on the other.  Once it's in place you'll peel off the paper....

...and it'll look like this.  It's a thin layer of sticky adhesive.

Make a headband by attaching the ends.

Gather where the seam is and use the other rectangle to wrap around the headband.  Use the tape at the end to secure it.

That's it.  I was serious about the two minutes.  These are super comfortable for a baby, with no seams to even irritate them.  Plus, knits are so soft and they don't fray.  I plan on making a larger one for myself.

For the second headband I did everything the same, except I added an additional rectangle of fabric on the headband to look like a bow.

Then I decided to add some life to the knits by stamping them with fabric paint (same paint, but a new bottle).  I used the top of an eraser and pounced it all over the headband to create polka dots.

This way if it's a baby headband, there won't even be anything on the inside to irritate the skin.  The paint is all on the outside.

And there you have it.  You can use up some scraps or t-shirts AND have a few new headbands in a few minutes.

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Craft on!