DecoArt Ink Effects |Arrow Baby Blanket

I've been a crafter for some time and have tried many, many different products.  This new paint from DecoArt called Ink Effects has blown me away!!

Seriously, BLOWN ME AWAY!!! I was a little nervous when asked to review this product. They actually had to twist my arm a bit.  I'm not really a painter.  I'm all over spray paint and simple stuff, but the idea about this product is that you free hand some great design and then magically transfer it onto fabric. I really didn't think I was a good fit for this one. I can't free hand anything! I reluctantly agreed and I'm so glad I did.

So here's the skinny… Ink Effects is a paint that you paint onto a piece of paper, let it dry and then flip it over and transfer the image onto fabric with a hot iron. Crazy, huh? It's actually really cool.  Once I got over my painting paranoia and tweaked it to fit my skill level I was just fine.  Here is what Ink Effect looks like.

It comes in several fun colors that are up to date with the current color trends.  Now keep in mind, this isn't traditional paint so the color of the bottle doesn't totally represent the color of the ink.  You have to look at the color sample on the top of the bottle to see what the color will look like.

I decided to add a fun graphic to a basic white cotton blanket for my friend Sarah who I threw a fun Little Bug baby shower for a few weeks ago. She is having two girls so I thought I would make a blanket with both the girl's names on it with a fun design that she won't be able to find anywhere else.  You know not all moms are into elephants and butterflies. I personally like them but I also like to be different as well. Here are my color choices and the design I was going to work from.

I created the design in Photoshop Elements and then printed it out to make sure the scale and everything was right. Now, remember I'm not much of a free hand painter? I couldn't be a surgeon either, my hands are just not that steady. It's not an issue.  I took my graphic and then created a mirror image and just painted right on top of the image!!!

Yea, it's kind of like Painting for Dummies… I'm sure all of you can paint something amazing with just a flick of your brush.  Alas, I can not. If you look at my paint lines on top of the image you can see that they aren't perfect, but just you wait! I waited for 30 minutes for the Ink Effects to dry. While I was waiting I prepared my fabric.

The blanket that I was using was 100% cotton, so it needed to be prepped with the DecoArt Ink Effects Cotton Spray.

If you are using a cotton blend with less than 30% cotton you don't have to worry about this part.  I just sprayed the fabric and then let it dry.  Once it was finished drying I place my image, paint side down on the blanket and ironed it for roughly about 30 seconds.  I did move the iron around so it may have been a little more or a little less.

Then I said a little prayer, and started to pull the paper back… I couldn't believe what I saw…

The color transferred beautifully, my horrible lines that I painted looked amazing, the colors were vibrant… I was thrilled!!

I love the way it looks more like a pigment transfer or a water color really. I LOVE that look.  Now we can do that on fabric, can you believe it? It's so forgiving, you don't have to be a professional painter to make something look amazing. You can paint right on a printed image and it will look fabulous.

I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but the fabric is still very pliable and soft. it's not like painting with regular paint onto fabric.  Another positive in my book.  Really, I'm struggling to find a negative.  I have since washed and dried the blanket and it still looks great. It fades just a smidge but really, not a lot at all.

I give DecoArts Ink Effects paint TWO thumbs up. It made me feel like I really could be a rock star artist, or at least make it look like I am. You can purchase Ink Effects currently online through DecoArt or it will be available soon at JoAnn stores across the country.  I can't wait to see what you guys think of it too!!

This post was a paid campaign for DecoArt Ink Effects via Blue Print Social. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

For more great Ink Effects idea, check this out…