How to Foil on Fabric – Felt

The foil trend is super hot in crafts in 2015 so, like many other crafters, I have been looking for affordable ways to add foil to my projects. In January, I shared how to add foil to paper with glue and a stencil but I want more. We always want MORE, right? When Sabrina Alery shared how to foil on fabric on her blog during a blog hop with Clearsnap, I was inspired! If foil works on fabric, why not foil on felt too? I used the same affordable foil to paper technique I shared in January and applied it to felt:

 The look of foil on felt  is a bit more textural and not as shiny as foil to paper or foil to fabric but still, the effect is pretty darned cool and unique.

Here's how to add foil to felt:

I added this foiled hummingbird to a notebook that I got as a promotional gift at the We All Grow Summit this past weekend. Shhhh, someone is totally getting this as a gift! The Dove logo on the front of the notebook was cool but adding the felt hummingbird makes this feel more like a handmade, homespun gift. I shared the tutorial on how to upcycle a promotional notebook into a pretty journal on the Kunin Felt blog today. P.S. I just tried the new Dove Dry Spray that I received at the #WeAllGrow event and it is amazing! Smells good, easy to use… no more sweaty Betty at the scrapbook retreat. So if you're looking for a new antiperspirant, check it out. I know that's why you come here:  for my hygiene tips, right? You're totally getting bonus material today… 

Upcycle a  journal by adding a gold foil on felt bird to the cover:

 

What motivates you? I came back from this weekend's #WeAllGrow Summit ready to make some big changes and minor adjustments to my business, brand, and how I work. They gave us LOTS of notebooks and pens, one of which I altered here (gold foiling on felt tutorial coming soon at hydrangeahipo.com). I gathered these items because it's important to express your dreams, goals, and ideas in a concrete way in order to stay motivated. That might be through writing in a journal, taking photos of the people and things that drive you, or wearing a reminder like an Origami Owl locket with a “blog” charm inside, like mine. How do you stay motivated? #livingfabulosa #motivation #origamiowl

A photo posted by Jennifer Priest (@hydrangeahippo) on Mar 2, 2015 at 9:51am PST

I hope you'll look at other materials to foil and give this trend a run for it's money! My favorite foil is ColorBox Designer Foils from Clearsnap because it comes in small, easy to store packs and cost about $3 each. Sure, I do work with Clearsnap and they send me the foil packs to try out but if I were to buy foil, these are what I would buy. There are lots of foils on the market but if you are just starting out, aren't sure if foiling is for you, or just don't want to invest in another big side project that will collect dust, try the Clearsnap ColorBox Designer Foils first.

I've been working on is trying to find affordable and practical supplies that I can use to make useful, practical craft projects.

When I used to have network TV, I watched Alton Brown's Good Eats on Food Network all the time. The same principles he applies to cooking and the kitchen can be applied to crafting and craft spaces as well. One of his key tenets is to avoid “unitaskers” in the kitchen; this means that any tool in the kitchen must have more than one use or purpose. If not, then you don't need it. For example, a potato masher can mash potatoes, can mash other veggies, and can be used to flatten hamburger patties. The same holds true for craft supplies and tools. Sure, foiling on paper is rad but foiling on paper and fabric and felt and wood is even BETTER. And if I can use TWO supplies – Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue  and Clearsnap ColorBox Design Foils – to foil on just about everything, for under $5, then I'm winning at life. Okay, maybe just winning at crafting, But you want to be a winner, right? Well, to be a winner, let go of unitaskers and add foil to anything with these essentials:

• Tombow MONO Multi Liquid Glue
• Clearsnap Designer Foils – Gold (there are other colors but gold is classy and timeless)
• Clearsnap Designer Foils – Silver (it looks good with gold and you can color it with alcohol markers or solvent ink to change the color)
• Amazing Stencils – I like Stencil1 and StencilGirl Stencils the best. Clearsnap has Art Screens, stencils that are good for just about everything too.

Here are some more affordable ways to add foil to your projects:

• Easy Foil Transfers without Heat
• Foiling with Rubber Cement and Stencils – Balzer Designs
• Easy Gold Foil with a Laminator – Jennifer McGuire Ink
• Foils Everywhere – a Blog Hop about Foils
• Foil Transfer on Glass

Author: Jennifer Priest

It started with jewelry, beading, sewing, home decor, painting, basket weaving, pottery, and cross-stitch. Marry that to an entrepreneurial spirit & at 9 years old a girl is selling her wares at craft fairs as far as her parents and grandparents would drive her. These days, Jennifer enjoys crafts of all genres from sewing to scrapbooking to jewelry with a little dabbling in the mixed media world. Her style is approachable and she wants everyone who sees her work to feel that they too can embrace creativity and make their home and life beautiful.