How to DIY Matching Family Pajamas with Fabric Paint
Get your beauty sleep in pajamas that are a sweet dream come true! Finding matching family PJs can be challenging and pricey, so we’re loving this easy hack using Tulip Soft Fabric Paints from Handmade Charlotte. Learn how to turn a potato into a stamp and how to use fabric paint to make jammies that are your fam’s jam.
What you need:
- Tulip Soft Fabric Paint Wilderness 5 Pack (or colors of choice)
- Matching pajamas or sweats
- Potatoes (large & mini sized)
- Kitchen knife
- Cutting board
- Small paintbrush
- Scrap cardboard
Before you learn how to use fabric paint to make your own matching family pajamas, you’ll want to choose your colors! You can go with a pack of Soft Fabric Paints that already has coordinating colors, or choose your own color palette from individual colors. Also make sure your sweats/PJs are washed and dried (without fabric softener).
Use a kitchen knife to cut a large potato in half. On one half, carefully carve out a circle shape and cut back part of the potato surface so that it sits back from the stamping surface about ½ to ¾ of an inch. For this step, if you want an exact circle, you can trace a circular item onto the potato surface, then score it with a toothpick before carving.
Use the kitchen knife to carefully carve out a simple smiley face. Tip from Handmade Charlotte: To make the eyes nice and round, use a serrated knife and poke the tip of the knife into the potato, then gently rotate it in a circle. A nice even circle should form! For the mouth, work slowly and draw a curved line, using the knife to cut a narrow channel along it. Note: Make sure to cut both the eyes and mouth deep enough so that you have enough negative space that won’t stamp onto the fabric in one big splotch of paint.
For the confetti dot stamps, simply cut mini potatoes in half! If any aren’t perfectly round and you want them to be, you can use your knife to trim around the edges to round them out.
Now you’re ready to learn how to use fabric paint to create prints with the potato stamps you just made! Lay your clean PJs/sweats flat on your work surface. If the PJs are thin, you’ll want to insert pieces of cardboard or freezer paper inside to prevent paint from soaking through to the back side. Prep your paint and squeeze some of each color onto a piece of cardboard (or even a paper plate).
Dip your smiley face potato stamp into the paint and wiggle it around to make sure you cover the entire surface with paint. You’ll probably end up with a thick coat of paint on the surface, so gently dab some off on the cardboard and use a paintbrush to help remove any extra paint from the eyes and mouth so you get a good impression when you stamp on fabric. Try practicing stamping a few times on your cardboard to get the hang of it.
When you’re ready, start stamping the fabric paint onto your PJs. You can apply them randomly, or in whatever pattern you like!
Fill in the spaces between the smiley faces with the smaller potato stamps and different colors of fabric paint. You can do any needed touch ups with your paintbrush and fabric paint. When you’re happy with the look, let everything dry flat.
Wasn’t that so easy? Why spend a ton on premade PJs when you can make your own cute set for a fraction of the cost?!
Now that you know how to use fabric paint and potato stamps to create fun prints on fabric, what else are you thinking of making? Tag us on social @tulipcolorcrafts and share your creations with us!