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Fabric Painting with Stencils
Fabric painting is a fun and relaxing craft that even a beginner can learn. With the wide range of decorative and lettering stencils available you don't have to be an artist or even draw a straight line to create your own personalized gifts. The fabrics that work well for fabric stenciling are cotton, canvas, and denim because they allow the paint to seep into the fabric.
I used Liquitex Basics Acrylics Cadmium red paint for this project.
How to Stencil on Fabric
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To get your stencil perfectly even, use a lettering guide or ruler . Mark the middle of the tote bag with a piece of tape and remove the lettering guide.

Place your lettering stencil on the middle of the tote bag and secure with painters tape.

Pour a dime size amount of paint onto a paper plate. Dip the stencil brush into the paint then blot off the excess. Push the paint into the fabric and swirl the brush. Keep the stencil brush straight up right so the paint doesn't seep under the stencil.
You can use a handheld hairdryer to speed up the drying time. Slowly remove the stencil. Fabric painting needs to be heat set to seal in the paint. Put a towel over the stencil and place an iron (medium temp, no steam) on the stencil for 60 seconds. Don't move the iron. After your stencil is heat set it can be washed and air dryed.
I've tried various types of acrylic, textile paints and fabric markers on to stencil onfabric with different results. Most of the paint worked while some failed miserably. Some of the paint was runny to start with so it was easily smeared even after being heat set. While some of the paint became a problem just because of the applicator. I found that small bottles with narrow openings quickly clogged up and dried out making it very difficult to use.

The paint that I've had the best results with is: Jacquard Textile, Jacquard Lumiere Metallics, Liquitex Basics and Golden Acrylics. All of these paints have worked great for fabric painting because they've all held up well. By that I mean that they didn't fade, crack or bleed even after being heat set and washed numerous times. Plus, they've all remained soft and flexible even after a few spins in the dryer.

Some people use a fabric extended with acrylic paints so that the paint remains soft after being heat set. However, I don't use a fabric extended because I've had good results with the Jacquard, Basics and Golden Acrylics brand.

For this stenciling project I used Liquitex Basics Acrylics Cadmium red.
Jacquard Textile is designed for fabric. It's a little thinner so I apply it in small amounts in a swirling motion with a stencil brush. It remaines true to its color after being heatset. Lumiere Metallic acrylic adds sparkle to fabric stenciling. I use this for decorative stenciling projects because it comes an assortment of bright shimmering colors. I've used Liquitex acrylics for a variety of fabric stenciling projects with good results. It's a thicker paint so you don't need much. The colors are bright and remain flexible after being heatset. Golden Heavy Body Acrylics are another good choice for fabric painting. It's a thick paint that spreads like butter. It's' high in pigment so the colors remain vibrant.

The Wildwood Cottage is a web site that provides tips and techniques, ideas and inspiration for unique art projects and crafts.

Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.

Pablo Picasso