How to Potato Print Clothing
The humble spud isn't just nutritious–-it's also an artistic tool! Turning a potato into a printing tool lets you make all sorts of fun and fanciful designs on your clothing.
Readying the clothing
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Decide which pieces of your clothing need major design improvement. Typical items of clothing that work well for potato printing include caps, socks, tights, t-shirts and canvas shoes. You can probably find other clothes to work with too.
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Protect the clothing item. If the clothing item is a sock, sleeve or leg, it'll need to be protected from the paint printing through to the unprinted side. To do this:
- Draw and cut out a cardboard template the same shape as the item you're seeking to protect.
- Slip the template inside the sock, sleeve or leg to provide a suitable barrier.
Preparing the potato
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Choose a design to print with. Your imagination is the only limit here, as well as you cutting skills. Suggestions include:
- Geometric shapes: Such as squares, circles and triangles
- Sky forms: Stars, moon, sun, etc.
- Animals: Cat, dog, pig, sheep, lizard, frog, etc.
- People: Faces, body forms, hand, foot, etc.
- Plants: Flowers, vegetables, leaves, fronds, four leaf clover, etc.
- Other objects like cars, buildings, letters, etc.
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Cut the potato in half.
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Draw the chosen design on the potato half. Draw a different design on the other potato half.
- If you need more than two designs, cut open more potatoes.
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Cut the design out. Use a sharp vegetable knife to cut out the shape, following the marked guide. Leave the shape of the design sitting higher and carve away at the potato flesh around the edges of the design.
- Cut down first, then across when cutting away the potato flesh from the outlined design.
Printing the clothing
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Lay the clothing down flat. Choose a non-slip surface to prevent it from shifting as you print, such as a tablecloth or a silicone mat.
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Pour the paint into a suitable container.
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Paint the design with the fabric paint. Cover it evenly.
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Press the potato stamp against the fabric item. Don't move the stamp once in place––lift it off gently and cleanly.
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Repeat to create the same design on the opposite side or clothing item. If making a pattern, follow the pattern you have in mind.
- Repaint the stamp for each print.
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Complete the printing decorations. Iron them to set in place.
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Done. You've just potato-printed your clothing. It's now ready to wear.
Tips
- Fabric items other than clothing can be printed using this method too, such as tablecloths, curtains, sheets, bedspreads, pillowcases, chair cushions, etc.
Things You'll Need
- Clothing suitable for printing; cotton fabric makes a good choice but check the ability of the paint to see if it'll work on other fabric types too
- Potatoes
- Pencil and paper
- Marker
- Sharp kitchen knife for cutting and carving
- Non-slip surface (tablecloth, silicone or craft mat, etc.)
- Fabric paint, suited to the particular fabric surface
- Paintbrush
- Paint container
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