Stenciling Tutorial - Ladybug Hot Pads

In case you want to make a set of cute stenciled hot pads, this is how to do it.

1. Gather supplies.  You will need a set of blank hotpads, fabric paint, a stencil, a stencil brush, a plate and a paper towel.

2. Decide on the design. I decided to have one lady bug come up from one corner and one ladybug going down from one corner.

3. Place the stencil on the fabric. You can use tape to keep it in place, or in some places you can buy an adhesive stencil which sticks down on its own. I’m using an adhesive stencil because it makes the edges so sharp. Push down in all the corners and edges.

4. Put some paint on a washable plate. Dab the brush into the paint and then dab some off on the paper towel.

5. Pounce the brush up and down all over the stencil.  Make sure to get the paint in all the corners and curves. Be careful not to use to much paint because then the paint goes under the edge of the stencil.

Sometimes you can do a gentle swirling motion in a kind of circle to get in the corners. But be careful not to get the paint under the edges.

6. It is a good idea to use tape on the outside edges so that the paint doesn’t go off the edge of the stencil. Mom says this is called masking. You can mask off any part of the design that you don’t want paint to go.

7. Carefully peel off the stencil. Repeat with the other hot pad.

8. Set the hotpads in a safe place to dry. The instructions on the paint will tell you how long to let them dry.

9. Because the red and black colors looked kind of flat, my mom suggested that I give it a little more pizazz by adding white highlights. I used a tiny paint brush and just a bit of white fabric paint. You can see how much more it pops. It is nice to have to some white on these hotpads because then it will match later in a set if there is white in the towels and dishcloths.

Now the question is how to trim the hotpads. Shall I use black rick-rack with white thread or white lace with a black chain stitch? I could use white rick-rack and black embroidery or even a flower applique. What do you think?

Respectfully submitted by Miss Abigail.