Level: Easy

Personalising napkins with your own printed design is easier than you think. Perfect as a practical gift or for brightening up your table at a dinner party.

Click here to download PDF instructions for this project.

What you do:

1. First, draw out your design with a pencil directly onto a piece of Ezycarve. Start cutting away the Ezycarve around your drawn design using lino tools.
2. Take your cotton fabric or pre bought white napkin and secure them to the table using masking tape. (Ensure the fabric has been pre washed first).
3. Put a small amount (approximately 50 cent piece size) of Permaset Aqua onto a piece of polyproplyene. Start rolling out the ink using a lino roller/ brayer so it is evenly loaded.
4. Next, place the roller/ brayer over the cut out Ezycarve until there is an even coating. Quickly but carefully, turn the Ezycarve over and place onto the fabric in the desired location and press firmly.
5. Repeat the process so the fabric is covered with the printed pattern in the desired colours. Use the technique on the remaining napkins.
6. Set the napkins to one side until they are touch dry (approximately 30 minutes). It is important to heat set the napkins to prevent the design fading. To do this, cover the design with brown paper and using a hot iron (the hottest setting allowed for the fabric), pass the iron over the design for few minutes from one side to the other. Please ensure you do not hold the iron over the napkin for too long or scorching may occur.
7. Leave them for a further 24 hours and the napkins can be used and washed as normal on a cool cycle.

IDEA: You can create any design/ shapes to keep with your table decorations theme. Why not try florals or geometrics? Simple shapes can be the most effective and eye-catching. Try the technique on a tablecloth to compliment the napkins.