Paint Your Clothes
by heather
Awhile back, I stamped shirts with stamps and acrylic paints, noting that you can set the acrylic paint with vinegar and make it permanent (no fabric paint medium needed!). Since then, I've learned you can even skip the vinegar step. Have you ever gotten acrylic paint on your clothes while you were painting? I bet the paint's still there! Acrylic doesn't go anywhere once it dries! One of my favorite blogs, Filth Wizardry posted a great idea this week: decorate dollar store flour sack towels with permanent markers and acrylic paint and sew the towels up to make a colorful one-of-a-kind skirt (or shorts). [how to make painted tea towel skirts]
You can find flour sack towels and permanent markers at the dollar store. Sometimes they have tiny pots of acrylic paint, too, but I recommend investing in a few bottles of regular craft acrylic paint at the craft store. It comes in handy often!
Eden at eden ART took this concept and switched it up by rescuing a princess dress that had been stained. She just painted over the dress, stains and all, and turned her daughter's ruined dress into a work of rainbowy art! I love this idea for two reasons: one, you don't have to be able to sew to take part in this great project. Two, you can rescue stained clothing and give it a second life (especially awesome for special garments such as this princess dress). [how to make a painted princess dress]
Tips for working with kiddos plus permanent markers and acrylic paint:
- Cover your work area with newspapers, or work outside where spills aren't as big of a deal
- Clean up any spills immediately (even watered-down paint)
- Permanent marker comes off skin with a little squirt of hand sanitizer (thanks for that tip, Eden!)
- I distinguish between these supplies and washable ones with my kids by calling them "big boy" markers and paints and tell them the rules for using them (no painting on self, or on anything other than the designated canvas)
- Don't use washable paint or markers for this project
Project Estimate:
- Flour sack towels, $1 each (optional)
- or, a stained piece of clothing, on hand
- Acrylic craft paints, on hand or $.50 each and up
- Permanent markers, on hand or $1
- Paint brushes, on hand
Total: FREE and up
Just think of all the toddler clothes that could be rescued from their stained states into something fun and usable. This opens the door to a whole world of creativity.
Thanks for featuring my princess dress. I’m sure I’m not the only one out there with a girl who likes to wear them every day. And the white ones don’t stay white for long! Now I’m thinking I might try painting some pale pink jeans with grass-stained knees…
What a fun idea!
totally gorgeous! love the effect and how colourful it is especially in the second photo. fun idea!
~ ana
also, with how great it looks with the sun coming through, we should consider this for curtains (like, for a small sink-window or something. it might take too much paint to color huge curtains).
[...] Paint your clothes for one of a kind outfits. Great idea from Dollar Store Crafts! [...]
So awesome Heather, these are so pretty.
[...] With back-to-school already happening for some and looming for others, I thought this post by Heather at Dollar Store Crafts would be timely. You can paint your clothes, and you can do it with acrylic craft paint that you already have on hand. Read more about the process here. [...]
Hi Heather!! I love this idea! The skirt and the dress that you show on this post is absolutely gorgeous!! I paint ornaments and glass decor, but I’ve never done something like this on fabric, although I did do some t-shirts once using fabric paints. I’m glad that just plain acrylic can do the trick because I often thought that acrylic was ok, but when the fabric paints came out, I wondered if it was indeed necessary to use THOSE instead of acrylic and what the differences are….I guess it’s just another way to make money, etc. Thanks for sharing this….love it!
I have rescued several shirts I stained by dip dying in watered down ayc paint or watered down fabris paint…..sort of like tie dye but i put the paint in a tub and just dipped my stained shirt into the paint/water mixture and hung it on the clothes line to dry……loved your idea and project!! I must try something for my grandaughter! thanks Donna
My kids and a neighbor are painting some flour sack towels right now!
Hi, I saw this and I am curious, I have a polyester dress and I want to paint the whole thing black. Will it work? And do I need to heat set it?
@september, I don’t know how well it would work. You could test it out on an inside hem and wash it to see how it works. I don’t think heat setting is necessary.
I saw this on pinterest and now i totally want to make a dress for myself so i can feel like a princess and bring some colour to this drab winter.
Leave your response!
Do You Like Us? Check Yes!
Pin Us!
Shopping? Support Our Great Content By Clicking This Link to Amazon
We receive a small referral fee if you shop through us!
Meet Heather!
Coffee Talk!
Sponsors:
Categories
Blogroll
Dollar Media Network:
Most Viewed
Policies
Disclosure, Affiliates, Disclaimer
Switch to our mobile site
Powered by WordPress | Arthemia theme by Michael Hutagalung | Customized by Heather Mann, Dollar Store Crafts