How To Print Fabric Using Cookie Cutters, Fruit and Vegetables

I love craft books, my bookshelf in my craft room is stacked high with them. I recently asked on our Facebook page “If you could learn any new craft skill, what would it be?” I have a list a mile long of crafts that I’d love to learn how to do, one of them is silk screening. 

We were recently sent a copy of How To Print Fabric by Zeena Shah. From the moment we saw the cover I was hooked (Hello? How cute is that little fox? And that tote bag??? SO CUTE!!!)

I opened the book, expecting to find a bunch of complicated projects, but was pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to make your own beautiful printed fabric. In the book, Zeena shows all kinds of printing options from something as easy as using a pencil eraser, to designing your own stamp with a lino block (that’s how the tote bag is made) all the way up to silk screening. 

I thought it would be fun to share with you how to make your own stamps using fruits or vegetables and cookie cutters! Read on for Zeena’s instructions and for your chance to WIN a copy of How To Print Fabric!

Fruit and Vegetable Printing

This technique is reminiscent of potato printing, which I used to do with my mum when I was a child – you can use the same process to print with almost any hard fruit or vegetable. Here I’ll show you some tricks that use a cookie cutter, fruit and vegetables to create beautifully textured prints for your fabric projects in a very uncomplicated fashion.

Materials:

• Fabric, light to medium weight

• Fabric block printing ink

• Ink tray

• Paintbrush

• Hard fruit and vegetables

• Knife and chopping board

• Cookie cutters

• Trick marker

• Scissors

• Tape measure

• Scrap fabric

Directions:

1. This printing technique will work well with any hard fruit or vegetable. I’ve chosen apples, lemons and limes, celery, turnips, a swede and carrots for this project as they create really beautiful shapes when printed – celery can look like little semi circles, and apples can resemble hearts.

2. Carefully cut your selection of fruit and vegetables in half or into smaller sections, using a knife and chopping board.

3. Now use the cookie cutters to create symmetrical, more precise shapes from some of your vegetable sections. Slice a disc from your turnip then press your cookie cutter directly into the section to cut out your shape.

4. When you are happy with your selection of cut fruit and vegetables, test each piece on a scrap piece of fabric. Use a paintbrush to evenly apply fabric ink to each shape then press it down firmly onto the scrap fabric, lifting the shape up again to reveal your print.

5. Continue to experiment with the different shapes and sizes on your scrap fabric, and notice the lovely textures you can create using this technique. Have fun with repeat pattern ideas and enjoy the process.

6. Choose your favourite shape then print your fabric with a repeat pattern design. You can use a tape measure and trick marker to create a guideline to show where your repeat pattern should go.

Tip: There are no rules for print making – try building your print design organically by experimenting with scale and shapes to create a random pattern.

Once you have your fabric printed, the sky is the limit what you can make! Check out this pretty skirt that Zeena sewed up with her fabric!

Here are a few other projects I loved from How To Print Fabric. 

Infinity scarf made with a DIY Embroidery Hoop Silk Screen:

Forest Drum Lampshade made with a photo emulsion silk screen process:  

Cardboard Tube Printed Laundry Bag:

 Want to learn how to print on fabric? Preorder your copy of How To Print Fabric at Stitch Craft Create. Want to win a copy? Enter below!

Tell us… Which project from the book would you like to try?

Contest open worldwide, for one ebook of How To Print Fabric valued at £14.99. 

Disclaimer: All content and photos from the, How To Print Fabric Blog Hop are copyrighted and courtesy of Stitch Craft Create.

Disclosure: Thank you to Stitch Craft Create for working with us on this article and giveaway. As with all articles on Hello Creative Family all thoughts and opinions are 100% our own. ]

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