3 Ways To Make Patches With Cloth And Acrylic Paint

If you are good at drawing, you can trace the image directly onto your fabric with a pencil. [2] X Research source Band logos work great, but you can use any image you want.

Freezer paper has a glossy side and a papery side. Make sure that you are printing onto the papery side. You can find freezer paper in the plastic wrap and tinfoil section of a grocery store. It is not the same thing as parchment paper or wax paper. Alternatively, you can lay the paper over your computer screen, then trace the image onto the papery side with a pen. [4] X Research source

Don’t use an old craft blade. It won’t give you sharp, clean cuts.

Canvas or denim fabric will work the best, but you can use other types of fabric too. The color does not matter here.

Do not apply globs of paint. Even though the freezer paper is stuck to the fabric, there is still a chance that the paint may seep under the paper.

Save your stencil for another project. Most freezer paper stencils can be reused 2 to 3 more times. They will lose their tack with each use.

Simple images with limited colors and little-to-no shading will work the best. Alternatively, you can buy a sheet of pre-printed iron-on transfers in a design that you like.

Make sure that the paper is suitable for your printer: ink-jet or laser. Read the label on the package. Skip this step if you bought a pre-printed iron-on transfer from the store. It already has images printed onto it.

Do not use colored fabric, or the image won’t show up. If you can’t find canvas, try another thick, sturdy material, such as denim or linen.

Use a synthetic taklon paintbrush for best results. Don’t use camelhair or boar bristle. Don’t worry if you have visible brushstrokes. This will give your patch some texture, just like in a real patch!

A whipstitch is where you wrap the thread around the edge of the fabric.

A straight stitch/running stitch is where you weave the needle up and down through the fabric.

Puffy paint and dimensional fabric paint take much longer to dry than acrylic paint. Give your patch at least a full day to dry.

Use a simple black or white button to create eyes. If your patch features a character, give it a matching button, like a spider button for a witch patch.

You can find fabric paint medium alongside the acrylic paint in a craft store.