Tutorial: marker-dyed flower bursts

I've been having fun with this project, the flowers are easy to make and so pretty. I love how they just burst out from the center with all that color.

I found this project in Wondertime magazine. Have you seen this mag? I enjoy reading the articles, I find them to be thoughtful looks at living with children. And the crafts are fun too. (By the way, I happen to have an extra copy of the current issue, if you'd like to swap something for it, let me know. I'm flexible, another magazine, some trim, ...) And if we're on the topic of child-related magazines--which I really didn't intend to be--my other favorite is Brain, Child. I can sit and read this one cover to cover. I like that they pick a controversial topic and present two opposing views. And that they include fiction, and essays from parents. Does anyone have any other favorite parenting magazines that I'm missing?

OK back to the tutorial. Here's what I've made using this technique. It's destined to be a front pocket on a tote bag. I think it would also make a nice mini quilt.

Here's what you need:

A piece of fabric (or a t-shirt), in a fabric that wicks well. This is linen which works like gangbusters. I've also tried some random cotton/poly blend that I had in my stash; it also worked, but there wasn't as much color movement and some of it was strangely constrained by the grain of the fabric. A light color is essential. I've done this on denim too, but that shows only a hint of color.

A glass and an elastic band.

Sharpie markers. Presumably you can also use other types of permanent markers, but these are the only ones I've tried.

Rubbing alcohol.

An eyedropper. I've also used a medicine dispenser, you know the type with the plunger. The eyedropper works better, but it's not critical. You could probably also use a straw that you keep one finger on the end of to keep the alcohol in.

To get started, just put your fabric over the glass and secure it with the rubber band. Try to get the top surface fairly flat and taut.

Next, draw dots on your fabric. The rubbing alcohol is a solvent for the sharpie marker and will carry the color outward, so drawing a group of dots near the center works best.

I like putting rings of different colors down, or you can mix colors around. Keep in mind that as colors are carried through other colors, they will combine and you'll end up with more colors than you started with.

Pick up some rubbing alcohol in your eyedropper and drop some into the center of your design. Keep dropping until there's "enough." I put about a half eyedropper full of rubbing alcohol on this design. You want enough to wet the fabric all the way to the edge of the glass, or to wherever you want your design to end. If there's too much, the extra will just drip down into the glass, or it may carry the colors a bit over the edge. If there's not enough, the colors won't spread too far.

Now you just need to wait for the rubbing alcohol to carry the colors out. This photo sequence took about 15 minutes.

Let the fabric dry, then heat set it (hot iron with pressing cloth, or 20 minutes in the dryer) and then your new design is safe for washing.

It's a bit difficult to show here, but you can sort of see where the yellow and blue have blended to make green in a few places, and blue + red made purple. If I had overlapped the dots more I would have had more blended colors.

Pretty neat, huh?

In the magazine, they suggested using the Sharpie to draw a stem to make a flower. I thought I would try embroidery instead, for the stem, to outline the flower, and to add some punch with a few other random spots. You can draw your design on in washable marker, then embroider over it. Or if you're like me and your washable marker has gone missing, you can draw a circle onto a piece of tracing paper, pin it onto the flower, and embroider through the paper. Then just tear the paper off when you're done. I did the stem and smaller circles freehand (getting brave!).

Comments

[Donna]

that is really cool! Thanks for demonstrating the technique, as well as the link to the magazine. I'm pretty sure I've seen that at bookstores around here, I will have to pick up a copy.

[Anamaria]

Thanks, Amanda--looks like a cool project to try with Leo and Milly this summer! I like to have a couple of those in my back pocket. Wondertime is the only parenting magazine we get; I really like it (and wish I had been filling in those scrapbook pages all along...I guess it's not too late to start). Must check out Brain, Child!

[moki]

that is SOOOO COOL! Than you for sharing this!

[anna]

Oh, what a great summer project. My kids will love this craft.

[debbie]

wow! so neat - i love it!

[Michelle]

This is cool. Thanks. It reminds me of the crayon and embroidery thing that I've only read about, but want to try.

[Tracy]

What a brilliant idea! Thanks for sharing!

[myra]

Wooowie! That is so cool! Thanks so much for sharing! I will definitely try this.

[deezie]

what a fabulous project I am going to do this with my girls today!!!
deezie

[Persephone Snyder]

That is beautiful! And psychedelic, too... Groovy, baby!

[Julie K in Taiwan]

Great tutorial! And thanks for sharing that site.

[heidi]

thanks for the tutorial! i'm going to have to try that! so cool! and i totally like the embroidered touches!

[Evelyn Lum]

That is really wonderful ... I can't wait to try it out myself. Imagine how lovely my plain tote bag would look. Thanks for sharing. Love to you and yours.

[Blair]

this is a fantastic project amanda, thanks so much for sharing! Love the way yours turned out.

[Marie]

Oh my gosh, this is so neat!!! I am definitely going to have to give it a try. :)