Painted clothing is coming back as a fashion statement. Whether you splatter jeans or paint characters and designs on T-shirts, you might want to get into this hobby. It is fun and easy, plus you can wear your creations. To get started, you will need to know what the best paints are for creating wearable art.
Puffy Paint
Anyone in their late 30's to early 40's will remember puffy paint. Everyone wanted to know how this paint could dry into a rubbery, three-dimensional material. Puffy paint is back, and you can use it exclusively on your creations, or just use it to make part of your creations pop off the clothing. Just make sure you leave the garment dry for at least a few days, or the puffy paint will get too wet in the wash and peel off. The paint itself has to be thoroughly dry to effectively adhere to the garment.
Craft Paint Made for Clothing
There are lots of different kinds of craft paint. What you want and need for wearable art is craft paint made for clothing/cloth items. Buying craft paint for models or craft paint for metal miniatures definitely will not do. Be sure to read the labels on the little bottles of craft paint to see if you are buying the correct stuff. Usually, most craft and hobby stores will place fabric-safe acrylics in the same aisle with the T-shirts and other wearable items. If you are still not sure, ask the sales associate for help.
Paint Sticks
If you would rather paint the easy way and avoid brushes and splatters, there are also paint sticks. Paint sticks look like giant crayons. They can help you make more precise lines and sharper images because you more or less "draw" with them on your cloth surfaces. They only need to be wet just a little bit prior to each use. After you use paint sticks, you will need to turn the fabric item inside out, place a paper bag inside between the cloth layers to avoid transferring your painting design to the other side, and then iron over the top to make the design permanent.
Use Glitter Paint SPARINGLY
Yes, you may be the queen of glitter, but glitter paint has a tendency to share its glitter with other clothing items in the wash. Use glitter paint sparingly, and try to wash your glitter-wear separate from the rest of the laundry. Be sure to check the permanency rating of the tubes or jars of glitter paint that you buy, or you may have to keep repainting these areas on your projects.
Contact a supplier, like Koontz Hardware, for more help.
After I bought my own home, I realized that the entire interior was a little bland and boring. I started thinking about ways to make things more interesting, and it occurred to me that a little crafting might go a long way. I began looking around through my house to see what I had to work with, and after a few projects, things were really coming to life. I wanted to make a blog all about creating great crafts in less time than you think so that you can enjoy an entirely new lease on life. Check out this great blog for awesome tips, tricks, and inspirations.