How to screen print your silhouette

Here is another way to make your décor more personal. We screen printed the fabric that we used for our cushions.

• printouts of silhouettes that you want to screen print
• fabric to screen print on (washed and ironed)
• screen printing frame
• water-based screen printing paint
• wooden spatula or tongue depressor stick
• squeegee , preferably wider than the profiles
• painterʼs tape
• spray glue
• craft knife and cutting mat

Step 1

Draw or print the silhouette in the size you desire on a large sheet of paper and cut out. Leave enough paper around the silhouette – this blocks the paint outside the pattern when you print. Place the pattern and silhouette to one side.

Step 2

Spray glue onto your work surface – this is to prevent your fabric from moving around while you work – and smooth the fabric over the surface. Place the cut-out silhouette in position on the fabric and mark the position with masking tape.

Step 3

Spray glue on the right side of your paper stencil, in other words on the side with the profile pointing to the side you prefer it to point to on the completed cushion.

Step 4

Press the stencil onto the back of the screen printing frame and stick it down at the edges with painter’s tape so that it stays in position. the profile is now facing in the opposite direction.

Step 5

Turn the screen printing frame over again and position it on the fabric so that the stencil is inside the marked-out position. Place enough paint at the top of the stencil to cover the whole silhouette – rather use too much than too little.

Step 6

Hold your squeegee at an angle of 45 degrees and smear the paint over the stencil. Press evenly throughout. Repeat if necessary until you have a nice, solid colour.

Top Tip: Ask someone to hold the frame while you work or stick the frame to the fabric so it doesn’t move.

Step 7

Lift up the frame carefully. Place it to one side on newspaper and scrape off any excess paint – you can reuse the paint.

Step 8

Turn the frame over and pull the stencil off. Rinse the frame under running water and wipe both sides clean so that there is not paint remaining. Leave everything to dry before you either use it again or store it away.

Step 9

Pull off the painter’s tape from around the printed silhouette on the fabric, lift the fabric up and hang it up so that it can dry. Press the fabric on the reverse side with a warm, dry iron to heat-set the paint. Now you can make your cushion covers.