Hello everyone! Jen Lashua here. I’ve been having so much fun stenciling items for the home, I’m keeping up with the theme of using stencils in home decor, (see my other posts on Stenciled Coasters & Stenciled Mugs).  Please enjoy this very easy tutorial on making your own vibrant, stenciled cloth napkins!

 

 

 

Supplies:

• Acrylic paint
• Foam brushes
• Tape- I prefer using Washi tape
• Cloth, plain napkins- I used 100% Cotton
• Stencils: I used the following stencils: TCW  6×6 Humming Bird Stencil – (I used only the flower portion of the stencil in my napkins) TCW mini 2077 Good Eats (used for my tags) and the 12 x 12 stencil TCW 540 – Striped Flower Circle
• Iron: Used to seal in the paint so it won’t wash out.

 

Step 1: Choose your stencil and secure it with tape onto your napkin.

Here I used, TCW 6×6 Humming Bird stencil, I used the the flower portion only.

Step 2: Paint the stencil. Choose your color of paint, I used a combo of blue, turquoise and purple.

Step 3: Remove stencil from napkin

Step 4: Reversing stencil design. I reversed the direction of the TCW  6×6 Humming Bird stencil- so it would fit the length of my napkin.

Step 5: (Optional) Adding detail.

When your 1st layer of paint is dry, you can add detail/highlights with a paint pen.

Detailed work

Step 6 : Drying. Let napkin dry, overnight is best to ensure the paint is totally dry before moving onto the next step.

Step 7: Sealing the paint in.

Flip your napkin over so you will be ironing the back side where there is no paint. You will want to iron your napkin for 3 minutes, the fabric will be very hot. It is recommend that you iron your piece for up to 5mins. This process sets the paint into the fabric and will keep your design after washing.

 

Step 8: (Optional) Creating Tags.

I decided it would be fun to use the mini stencil TCW mini 2077 Good Eats and create a small tag to hang off the napkin for more visual appeal and fun.

I used black paint, then put silver over the top, I finished by using a pen to trace the words.

Stencil 2 design: Here I decided to try out the 12x 12 stencil TCW 540 – Striped Flower Circle

Following the same steps as above. I overlapped the stencil over the width of the napkin. Here, I found using more paint and a scrubbing effect with a foam brush worked well.

I used a combination of red, orange and yellow hues, and this is how it turned out! Now its ready to be dried and ironed.

Wha-la! Here is how it turned out!

Step 6: Adding more embellishments …(Optional)

Hemp twine or jute can be used to tie your napkin into a bundle while holding the tag in place. Add a sprig of your favorite garden herb onto the napkin.

I also used a few shades of blue and turquoise paint using the same stencil, 12 x 12 TCW 540 – Striped Flower Circle. I love to see how using different colors gives the feeling of a whole new look.

Here are my finished napkins:

Stencil used: TCW  6×6 Humming Bird stencil- Flower portion only

Tag made with stencil TCW mini 2077 Good Eats, tied with hemp string and garnished with a sprig of fresh mint.

In cool hues, stencil used: TCW 540 – Striped Flower Circle

Tag made with stencil: TCW mini 2077 Good Eats

In warm hues, stencil used: TCW 540 – Striped Flower Circle. Tag made with stencil: TCW mini 2077 Good Eats.

Tied with hemp string and garnished with a fresh Chive flower.

 

Stencil used: TCW 540 – Striped Flower Circle. I made the tag with stencil: TCW mini 2077 Good Eats

Bon appetit!

 

 

2015 The Crafter’s Workshop Design team.