How to: Printed Foam Stamp

I love using real leaves to print on fabric. However, if my stash of preserved leaves are not available or I don’t have any preserved, a great way to get that printed image is to make a printed foam stamp.

The images will not look as realistic as when you use actual leaves to stamp with, but it’s just another way to get those leaf prints. It also saves you from having to preserve leaves. Now anytime I want to I can grab this stamp and print as many leaves as I want to!

Before I get into the process, here is my finished art quilt using these stamped leaves. The background fabric is one of my ice dyed pieces.

This is my finished stamp and sample piece.

Here are the supplies needed for this project:

• Leaf
• Thin adhesive-backed foam
• Thicker foam
• Plastic for work surface
• Paper plate for palette
• Brayer
• Pieces of newsprint or computer paper
• Dauber (or any type of sponge or brush to get the paint onto the leaf) – see my tutorial here 
• Textile paint (I like to use Jacquard for this project.)
• Fabric
• Scissors
• Wood skewer

 

So let’s get started. Here I have everything ready to print.

Place the leaf vein side up on the plastic. Pounce on some of the textile paint. This is the same procedure if you are using the actual leaf to print. See my tutorial about that here.

Then place the leaf paint side down on the thin adhesive-backed foam.

Cover the leaf with the newsprint, and roll over it so the leaf image will print on the foam.

Remove paper, and you will have the image on the foam. It’s okay if it is smeared because you will be cutting this out.

Next, in order for the veins to print, you need to “carve” into the foam. I’m using a wood skewer to do that. I also am not trying to make the veins look realistic. You could spend more time and use a sharper tool to making the veins look more real.

Once you are happy with the veins, it’s time to cut out the leaf.

Here is the stamp cut out.

Now peel off the paper from the back of this stamp.

 

Turn it over and press down on the thicker piece of foam.

Cut around the thin foam.

Cut all the way around so you end up with your finished stamp.

Now it’s time to play. Add textile paint.

 

Stamp on fabric.

And there you go, a printed leaf using your new leaf stamp.

Now you can stamp all over the fabric. I wasn’t concerned about placement since I was planning on cutting them out, but you don’t have to do that.

I cut out the leaves so I could add them to this piece of ice dyed fabric.

I hope you’ll try this. I’ll be making more for sure. I’m linking to Off the Wall Friday. Check the link for more inspiration.