By Colleen Anderson

Introduction:
Printing patterns on fabric or paper is easy by using found objects in your house! Experiment with color, design and pattern in this cloth centerpiece project.

Materials:

Directions:

1. Lay the 20" x 20" square of painting canvas or white cotton placemat on top of newspapers.


2. Choose several objects that would make interesting "stamps" when painted or dipped into fabric paint.


3. Paint or dip those items. Carefully "stamp" the shape onto the centerpiece material. Stamp one color at a time. If there is to be any overlap of colors, let the first color dry and then stamp the second color over it.


4. Try repeating stamps in rows or rotating the stamp to create a changing pattern.


5. Let the design dry. Heat set the fabric paint according to the directions on the bottle.


6. Hem the edges of the 20" x 20" cloth if necessary.


7. Put in the center of a table and put candles or other decorative items on it.

Resources:
Mayes, Susan; Claybourne, Anna; Watt, Fiona and Lovett, Patricia. Drawing, Painting, and Lettering. Usborne Publishing, Ltd.: London, 1996. pp. 40 and 41, 48 and 49.

Robins, Deri. Step-By-Step: Making Prints. Kingfisher Books, New York, 1993. pp. 14 and 15. Stocks, Sue. First Arts and Crafts: Printing. Thomson Learning: New York, 1994. pp. 8 and 9 and pp. 16 and 17.

Williamson, Jeanne. ThreadsMagazine, "Print with Erasers", September 1996.

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