Total Time Needed: Weekend Project
In Africa, cloth is used for both decoration and communication. Celebrate African-American heritage with your own colorful scarf or tablecloth that conveys a message.
Materials
- Fabric
- Pencil
- Tape
- Stencils (optional)
- Vegetable shortening
- Acrylic paint
- Newspaper
- Scissors
- Fabric tape or glue
Instructions
- Cut the fabric to shape and tape it to several sheets of newspaper (to reduce the mess), then tape the project to a table or board (to keep the cloth taut).
- Lightly trace the stencils on the cloth with a pencil, or draw shapes freehand.
- Using a paintbrush, apply a thick layer of the vegetable shortening on each design. (Note: The designs will be white on the finished cloth.)
- Thin the acrylic paint with a little water so that it is the consistency of yogurt. Paint the entire piece of fabric, even over the designs. (They will wash out later.)
- Let the fabric dry a couple of hours or overnight. When it is completely dry, peel it off the newspaper.
- Rinse the fabric in water with a little soap and hang your fabric up to dry.
Tips:
If you want a more finished edge, fold over a hem and secure it with fabric tape or glue, or make a hem on a sewing machine.
Crafts
