10 Super Duper DYI Holiday Gift Ideas...Idea #9

Snowflake Stenciled Tea Towels

Stenciled tea towels make a lovely present all on their own, can be added to a gift basket, or given with a jar of homemade preserves.  Here is what you will need to complete the project and a step by step "how to"...complete with helpful tips!

Materials:

       Sheets of plain paper
       Pencil
       Scissors
       Iron
       Fabric paint OR acrylic paint with fabric medium
       Large paint brush with stiff bristles
       Glue Stick
       Tea Towels


Begin by folding a piece of paper in half, in half again, and then in half a third time so your paper looks like this....

With a pencil, draw the points of the snow flake down both edges of the folds.  Very carefully cut out the shape, cutting only on the line, so both the in snowflake shape and the negative of the snowflake shape are preserved.  It is also fun to cut out a center shape. Use a hot iron to very gently press the snowflake and the stencil flat. 

Pick a paint to use.  Fabric paint works great, or acrylic paint can be mixed with a fabric medium and works just as well.  Acrylic paint without fabric medium will wash out, unless you get some on your shirt, then it will stay forever.
  
Pick a paintbrush to use. There are brushes specifically designed for stenciling, but I have found that any brush with stiff bristles will get the job done.  

Once you decide where to place your snowflake, use a very small dab of glue to help keep the inner points of the snowflake down, and to keep the center of the snowflake in place.   

Keeping you paintbrush straight up and down and dab the paint on to the project with a straight up and down motion.  

Once the area inside of the stencil has been covered with paint, carefully remove the stencil and the center of the snowflake.  It is very handy to have a piece of newsprint or scrap paper to set the wet stencil on.  

The stencil my be used over and over again.  If the stencil becomes too wet and feels fragile, let it dry for awhile.  As the stencil dries it will begin to curl.  Don't fret, simply iron the stencil flat again once it has dried.  

Another fun technique is to use the snowflake to create the negative impression of the snowflake.  Simply use a very small amount of glue on the points of the snowflake and stick it in place.  Paint around the shape, using the same up and down technique as you used with the stencil.  

In the example shown below, my friend Karen used this technique both with the snow flakes and with the snowflake centers to create small snowflakes.

Here are some of the different designs Karen and I came up with in an afternoon...the possibilities are endless!

  I've included a couple of non-winter tea towel ideas from past projects.....

Apple Print Tea Towel

A bundle of Sunflower stenciled tea towels

Hope you have fun making snowflake stencils!
Stay tuned for Super Duper Idea #8!  

10 Super Duper DYI Holiday Gift Ideas...Idea #10