We are very excited to have an exclusive craft tutorial by the talented Carrie Hill of Porter Colline. Carrie makes wonderful things like paperfish and peg people, and thinks to paint on pebbles. From this week you can buy a piece of her hand-crafted genius at Molly-Meg.
But to the tutorial! Carrie takes us through how to do a freezer paper stencil, aka ‘An optimistically summery Fab inspired tote’.

You will need:
1. A fab idea!
2. Freezer paper (I love Reynolds brand. Just under 6 quid for more than you could use in a lifetime! I buy it from Amazon.
3. A craft knife, a firm-ish paintbrush and water for clean up
4. Fabric paint (Can’t go wrong with Dylon, it doesn’t go hard, so your fabric remains soft after painting)
5. An iron (hot hot hot and on a dry setting)
6. A hairdryer (entirely optional, but handy for the impatient- like me!)

Step One > Firstly, choose what you’d like to print on to. Pale fabrics work best, and cotton or cotton rich is a must. I chose a natural cotton tote bag, but t-shirts, pillowcases or anything with a seam free area big enough to accommodate your design will be perfect. Make sure your fabric has been washed, without fabric softener for the best result. Secondly, choose your design. I freehand drew a Fab-like iced lolly, but if you aren’t confident doing freehand you can simply print an image from your computer. Bold and simple works best. Skull and crossbones, boats, cars, hearts, stars, arrows, clouds… the list is limitless.

Step Two > Tear off a section of freezer paper large enough to cover your design and then some!  Place the freezer paper shiny side down on a cutting mat or old magazine. Draw your design directly on to the freezer paper and use your craft knife to cut it out. If you are using a computer print out, you can tape the freezer paper over the image (the freezer paper is semi-transparent) and simply cut out your design as you see it through the paper. Discard the computer print out at this point. It’s worth noting here that the places where the freezer paper ISN’T is where the paint will be!
Step Three > Get your iron on! Get it hot! Using a dry heat setting, iron the freezer paper, shiny side down, to your fabric. I recommend giving it a good few swipes and a little extra pressure on sharp edges or corners to ensure paint can’t seep under the paper.

Step Four > You are ready to apply paint. If like me you are printing on something like a bag, be sure and slide a piece of plain paper between the layers of fabric to ensure that paint doesn’t soak through on to an area you want to keep pristine. Using quick strokes, apply paint to the fabric. Don’t overly load your brush, it’s better to do two coats than risk the paint seeping under the freezer paper. I tend to use a mix of dabbing and brushing. Dab around the hard edges for a neat finish and brush over the larger areas. If you think a second coat is needed, ensure that the first coat is dry before layering another on. I use a hairdryer. Sunshine works too, if you have access to it!

Step Five > Once dry to the touch, you can peel off your freezer paper. It should come easily. It’s a one-hit wonder, so discard it after use. You can’t reuse it. It’s part of the joy. No two designs are ever identical. You can now set the design by ironing on the reverse of your fabric. Et Voila, you are done.
//Tips//
Light fabrics with a tight weave are usually the most successful.
It’s easy to get confused as to the negative space when cutting out a design. If it’s your first time, practice on a plain piece of paper and see exactly where the paint will go when you do it for real.
Use multiple colours, mix custom colours, print out big letters, or get your kids to do a funny drawing for their own bags or t-shirts.