Printing On Fabric!

Did you know that you can print in your regular printer on fabric?  I used this technique to put names on our sailor hats for Girl's Camp!  It was great not to have to worry about paint drying or markers bleeding and I could use a cool stencil font (in this case) that reminded me of the military theme.

It all starts with picking out the right fabric to print on.  White or cream works best.  Then, use a piece of computer paper as a pattern to cut out a piece of freezer paper that will fit into the computer.  Iron it onto the back of your fabric and cut the fabric around the edge of the freezer paper.  I used Reynolds freezer paper of course. (Unfortunately, we are not related to the owners of this company.)  Quilters have used freezer paper for years for piecing and working with fabrics.  Be sure to iron it on the fabric shiny side down. Click the pictures below see what to do.

The anchor fabric is too busy to print on, so I am going to layer the white on the top. That means printing on the white.

Reynolds freezer paper

Here is how the fabric will look backed with the paper.

Before printing, get on the computer and figure out what font yo want to use. Then, type the list of words that you want to print.

Put the fabric with the freezer paper stuck to it into the paper feed tray. In my printer I have to put it in fabric side down because it turns up when it prints. So be sure you know how your computer feeds.

I printed mine in navy blue. Here is the printed list!

 After the words are printed you can cut them out and use them in your project.  I have used this technique to make fabric bookmarks in the past.  I can think of a few other options that I may use in the future.  This time I finished the sailor hats.  I cut the names out with my pinking rotary cutter.  I stitched them onto the background fabric and attached them to the hats.  I guess I could have glued them, but the stitching looks so good and was easy to do, even stitching through the stiff brim.  I ordered the hats from Oriental Trading.

Here is the rotary cutter that does pinked edges.

You can tear the freezer paper off of the back of the fabric now, but you don't have to. Pin the name onto the background fabric and stitch away!

Our finished hats! Shhhh, don't tell the girls, it is a surprise!

I am sure that you can think of a million ways that printing on fabric can be used creatively! Tell me some of your ideas! I would love to try them, (after camp and the wedding!)

Oh, alright, here I am wearing it.