Using old fabric to create your own designs
Skill level: Beginner
Age suitability: 6+ with adult supervision
Supervision note: Uses fabric paint and tools; adult guidance recommended
Old clothes and fabrics are perfect for making patchwork items and accessories for the home. If you’re looking for a way to bring in some extra cash each month, here’s a way to make use of what normally gets thrown away. If your sewing skills are not quite at an advanced level, you can still create colourful pieces of fabric.
The fashion industry is one of the most polluting and socially challenged industries, says Wendy Schultz, Textiles and Fashion lecturer. According to global research, cotton production alone is the second most polluting crop after corn, and the industry has long outsourced production to low-wage countries, exploiting low levels of regulation.
There is an untold amount of textile waste created in the production of fashion, and this Upcycle project aims to create a difference by showing how small off-cuts can be transformed into something of much greater value than their parts — upcycling at its best.
For any questions, contact us via email.
What you need:
- Old, used pieces of already painted fabric
- Paintbrushes
- Plastic sheeting
- Paint (choose a colour that has not already been used on the scrap cloth)
Read through all the instructions before starting this craft. It is recommended that you read through the Fabric Painting Basics before starting this project.
Step 1: Prepare your fabric
Take one of your chosen pieces of colourful fabric and place it onto plastic sheeting with the painted side facing upwards. Using a medium-sized paintbrush, paint over the entire cloth with your chosen colour, preferably a different colour from any already used on the fabric.
Step 2: Apply the paint evenly
When painting over the fabric, use thick, even strokes. Make sure the paint is not applied too thickly, as this can make it shiny and hide the design underneath.
Step 3: Scratch in your design
While the paint is still wet, use the back tip of the paintbrush to gently scratch a design of your choice into the paint. Let your imagination go wild.
Step 4: Rework if needed
If you don’t like your design, simply paint over it and start again. The end result will be a beautifully crafted fabric made from old materials that would otherwise have been thrown away.
Step 5: Heat set the fabric
Remember to heat set any fabric-painted items. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on your chosen paint.
