| Control of natural light especially in work areas like the | | | | avoid the stiffness. You know you've got it just about |
| kitchen is particularly important. Too much of a good | | | | right when you could see the texture of the fabric |
| thing can be bad, and, while natural light is always | | | | through the paint. You may also use craft acrylic |
| valued in the kitchen, too much or too reflective of it | | | | paints, but with textile medium added. The textile |
| can be distracting. Window coverings are the answer, | | | | medium allows the paint to seep into the fibers of the |
| both to control natural light, and to accomplish a lot of | | | | fabric resulting in permanent, color-fast, and immensely |
| other things besides: limit summer heat gain and winter | | | | washable designs. |
| heat loss, limit outside view of the inside, screen off | | | | How to Paint on Fabric |
| unpleasant view, and splash color and texture onto | | | | Mix craft acrylic paint with textile medium. Follow the |
| your kitchen. | | | | mixing ration specified by the manufacturer. You might |
| One way to do this is through the use of curtains. One | | | | instead want to use a fabric paint; that way, you don't |
| drawback of curtains, however, is that if you have it, at | | | | have to worry about any mixing. Apply the paint to the |
| least one other in your place is bound to have it too, | | | | fabric. Allow to dry for 24 hours. Heat-set by pressing |
| that alone is sometimes enough to spook some people | | | | the fabric under a press cloth. |
| into not having curtains at all. | | | | Fabric Painting Techniques |
| But guess what. You actually can have your | | | | Guided designs - Using masking tape, you can paint |
| one-of-a-kind curtain by making your own | | | | stripes, plaids, and other geometric patterns. |
| one-of-a-kind painted -fabric curtains. Here's how. | | | | Swirled designs - Using artists' brushes, texture rollers, |
| Prepare the Fabric | | | | and paint pads, you can decorate your fabric with bold |
| Wash the fabric without using fabric softener. This will | | | | brush strokes. You might want to use metallic paints |
| remove any sizing from the fabric. Hang to dry, after | | | | for added drama. |
| which press the fabric to remove any wrinkles. | | | | Stamped designs - Here, many of the things you have |
| Cut the Fabric to Measurements | | | | around the house can become your stamp design: |
| Measure off your windows. You might want your | | | | fork tines, Junior's alphabet block, egg beater. |
| curtains to hang past the seal, so provide for that in | | | | Stenciled designs - The design is transferred onto the |
| your measurements. Cut the individual panels of your | | | | fabric using a stencil brush and the stippling method. |
| curtains according to your measurements. | | | | Consider a lighthouse design to repeat in your kitchen |
| About Fabric Painting | | | | the ambiance created by the nautical wall sculptures |
| Here are a few things you need to know about fabric | | | | or the ocean wall hangings in your living room. |
| painting. Fabrics can be painted to create whatever | | | | Sponge painting - Use only a sea sponge to dab onto |
| designs you want your curtains to take, which, at the | | | | the fabric. |
| same time, match your overall kitchen décor. Use | | | | Complete your curtains |
| only fabric paints. This will ensure a permanent painted | | | | Now that you have your one-of-a kind fabric, all you |
| design, and, at the same time, avoid the stiffness when | | | | need to do now is to complete the base and to shirr |
| you use any other kind of paint. When painting the | | | | the header, and voila, you have your unique curtains. |
| fabric, remember not to apply too much paint, again to | | | | |