Inkjet Printing onto Fabric Tutorial

To print your own fabric on an Inkjet printer you will need:

1. Inkjet Printer (for this tutorial I used an all-in-one, but you could use a separate scanner if you don’t have an all-in-one)
2. White paper.
3. Cotton fabric (thin is best)
4. Fine marker pen.
5. Scissors.
6. Masking tape.
7. Spray mount.
8. Spray lacquer.
9. Newspaper.

Step One:
Draw your design onto the top corner of a sheet of plain white paper with your marker pen.

Step Two:
Place image into the scanner part of the printer, and use the colour copy function to print straight out.

Step Three:
Lay copy next to first in the repeat position that you want. Use masking tape to fix into position. Slice far edge to match the edge of the original sheet, you want it to fit into the scanner properly else you will get dark shadows it the sheet doesn’t lay completely flat inside the frame on the machine. Copy again.

Step Four:
Lay second copy on original & repeat step three.

Step Five:
Repeat step three again.

Step Six:
Repeat step three for the last time.

Step Seven:
Put complete sheet into scanner & copy for one last time so that you have a neat sheet to copy onto fabric from (you can skip this step if you want)
BUT place full sheet back into scanner ready to print fabric from.

Step Eight:
Lay fresh sheet of blank paper onto fabric & cut out 1 1/2” bigger than the sheet of paper all round.

Step Nine:
Lay out newspaper to protect your surfaces, and spray Spray Mount all over top side of the sheet of paper.

Step Ten:
Smooth fabric down over sticky side of paper.

Then cut neatly round side so that fabric matches the paper.

Step Eleven:
Lay fabriced paper down on paper tray in printer with the fabric side whichever side up/down that your printer prints out on.

Step Twelve:
Hit print/copy & wait for your newly printed fabric to print out!

Step Thirteen:
Peel paper backing from fabric and place back on newspaper and use Spray Lacquer to seal ink onto fabric.
Not sealing it will result in the ink running if it gets wet.

Then print away on all your favourite background fabrics & make what ever you want with it.

Mini Tutorial – Felting a Crocheted Hat

You will need:

1. A ball of 100% wool. I like Paton’s 100% Merino Classic
2. 4mm Crochet hook. (with this particular wool)

3. A round plastic form. (to felt shape to. I made mine from the bottom of a plastic food tub)

4. A Knitters Sewing needle.

5. A regular sewing needle
6. Thread matching wool colour.
7. Shiny glamorous button.

This tutorial is for those who already know how to crochet & have a hat pattern to follow. Make sure the pattern works up larger than you want it to end up being as it will shrink considerably during the felting process.

Start to crochet your hat, make sure you leave a long enough end of yarn at the centre point start as you will need it later.

Use a loose long stitch, at least a double crochet stitch, as the stitches need to shrink together & too tight a stitch will stop this happening & very limited felting will occur. I have used treble for this beret.

Finish your hat.


Thread your wool needle onto the long spare end from where you started the piece.


Take your plastic form, thread the needle & yarn through a hole in the centre.


Slide form down yarn.


Tuck form inside main body of hat.

Remove needle & tie yarn securely (several times over)


Put hat inside a pillowcase or lingerie bag.


Throw into the machine on as hot a wash as your machine will do, with a small dash of soap.


Wash several times over to create the desired effect. Once the main shape has been safely formed you can remove the plastic form to finish it off & make sure it is evenly worked. Adding a towel can agitate it further & work up a better finished result.




Thread normal needle with matching thread & secure to inside of the centre hole which should still be just visible.


Poke shank of glam button through hole & stitch securely in place.



As this is a mini beret you will need to attach it to your head some how, so, take a small crocodile clip and stitch to back side of beret at the top.


And the bottom.