The folks at Simply Spray sent me some of their Soft Fabric Paint to play with.
Simply Spray comes in a variety of types of spray from stencil to upholstery paint. This is the one they recommend for apparel including tie-dying and home decor.
I’m not big on tie-dying shirts, but love working with fabric surface design. So I started with 10-inch squares of 100% muslin which I had washed, dried, and ironed.
It was a beautiful day so I took my project outside. Well, to tell you the truth, I was concerned about my ability to spray paint without getting it all over the house!
I started with scrunching the material to give it a somewhat tie-dyed effect.
I loved how the colors blended. Then I couldn’t resist spattering some red at the end.
Then I decided to use masking tape as a mask.
Finished results:
That was pretty cool. Then used this metal screen as a stencil. I sprayed the fabric yellow before I taped the screen down.
And the result –
I loved the effect that the screen made on this and that the spray was not perfect. The company says that their Simply Spray Stencil product will perform better with stencils, but I love the look this made.
Then I had to try one more – the glue resist. I just love using Elmers School Glue as a resist. As mentioned in this post, add glue to the fabric and let it set 24 hours before you paint. Next I painted it with two different Simply Sprays. I let it set for 72 hours before washing out the glue. The paints held their colors. I love the effect of glue resist with these paints.
I really enjoy playing with this paint. I was concerned I wouldn’t have a lot of control, but that wasn’t the case. I liked drizzling paint when I wanted to and spraying as light or heavy as I chose. I loved the colors in the kit and also the two additional they sent. They have a variety of colors and kits. I loved that Simply Spray is non-toxic, non-flammable and has no odors.
I also liked that the paint did not make the fabric stiff.
The Simply Spray website also has a lot of suggestions, frequently asked questions, and samples of how to use these and their other spray paints.
These sprays would be great for kids parties. They can found online or at your local craft stores. It’s a simple and fun way to dye fabric without having much prep except for washing the fabric.
Fun, Fun, Fun!
Disclaimer: I received this product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are 100% my own. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review and received no monetary compensation.
You end this review with the words “Fun, Fun, Fun!” That has to be an understatement. It was “Fun, Fun, Fun!” just reading this and seeing the pics. Doing it must have been a total cosmic blast. All your samples are so cool, what will you be doing with them?
Kitten, Thanks! Not sure what I’m going to do with them yet. Right now I’m just admiring them!!
I have used these to create a “faux” tie-dye effect by spiraling the shirt’s wrinkles and spraying it while it was wrinkled. It worked great and came out lovely, however it keeps washing out in the washing machine. I definitely followed the directions for letting it set as well. This has happened with both the pink and purple dyes. Very disappointing.
Wendy, I waited 72 hours to wash that last piece out and the colors held true. Sorry to hear about your experience. You might contact the Simply Spray people and talk to them.
If you use fabric softener or have sizing on the garmet/fabric the paint will wash out to a lighter color. If the garmet is new it likely has sizing on it, try washing before application of any dye or fabric paint for brighter stayfast colors. 100% cotton holds the color best. Cold water wash holds the color best.
it is such a great idea…very nice,i will visit your site on n off
Very awesome Lyndah. You are truly talented.
Greg, Thanks!
that did look fun think I will try this with the grandkids as take homes. Get them white tshirts and create………
I LOVE that last one. I must try that, right this instant 🙂
Oh, that looks like fun! Love the first sample with the greens!
This is a terrible product. The nozzle clogs even on brand new cans out of the package and there is no way to unclog them. If you do get a can to work, once you store it the rest will be wasted when the nozzle clogs. I even tried storing some submerged in water and they still clogged up.
Great idea, awful engineering on the cans.
Cyndisaf,
I’m sorry about your problems with this product. I did an experiment when I posted this and I used several of my cans almost a week after I painted these and the majority of cans still sprayed. However, I did have a couple that didn’t. I hope you took your product back to the store for a refund.