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How To Print Dollhouse Prints To Fabric- Rugs, Cushions, And More

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(@lizzy)
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Have you ever wanted to add a special touch to your dollhouse by printing your own fabrics? Whether it's for tiny pillows, rugs, or even a miniature apron, printing dollhouse prints to fabric at home is easier than it sounds!

I’m going to walk you through the steps, so you can start making personalized fabrics for your dollhouse and miniatures. Let's just straight-up explain!

What You’ll Need to print dollhouse prints to fabrics:

  • Freezer Paper: This is key to keeping your fabric steady in the printer.
  • Light Cotton Fabric: It works best for holding onto those tiny details in your dollhouse prints.
  • Fabric Medium (Optional): This helps the ink stick and keeps your print from fading.
  • Scissors: Always handy for cutting fabric and paper. Smile
  • Cardstock: Useful for tracing and cutting the right sizes.
  • Inkjet Printer: Yep, your regular home printer works for this!
  • Iron: To fuse the freezer paper to the fabric.

Let’s Get Started!

  • Prep Your Fabric

    First things first, cut your fabric and freezer paper to the size of regular printer paper (8.5x11 inches).

    If you’re using fabric medium to help the ink hold better, go ahead and coat your fabric. (using this, avoids fading when washed)

Let it dry completely before you continue. Trust me, it’s worth the wait!

  • Iron the Freezer Paper to the Fabric

Now, place the freezer paper shiny side down onto the back of your fabric (the uncoated side if you used the medium).

Grab your iron and smooth it over the whole thing. You’ll want to make sure the paper sticks well. This stops your fabric from bunching up when it goes through the printer.

  • Find Your Perfect Design

Miniature printable rugs by Imagito

Here’s the fun part—picking your pattern! Search online for something you love, like Bohemian fabrics or tiny rug patterns.

Once you find one, paste it into a software program. To resize it for your dollhouse, you can use Canva or Adobe Acrobat, as I explained before in my blog post and on my YouTube channel.

  • Time to Print!

First of all, make sure to always have enough ink in your printer! Now, place the fabric (with the freezer paper still attached) into your printer’s tray, making sure it’s facing the right way for printing.

Set your printer to high-quality printing—this really makes a difference in how the colors pop.

Once it’s done printing, gently peel off the freezer paper, and voila, you’ve got your custom-printed fabric!

Finishing Touches

You can now use your printed fabric for all kinds of mini-projects. If you’re making pillows or anything that needs sewing, remember to leave a little extra fabric for seams.

And a quick tip: use glue around the edges of items like rugs or aprons to keep the fabric from fraying. If you’re feeling fancy, you can even add lace or fringe to give it that extra charm!

In the video below, you can see the Crafty Frog create a miniature printed apron.

FAQs on printing fabrics.

1. Can I use a laser printer instead of an inkjet printer?

While laser printers can print on fabric, they don’t typically provide as vibrant colors as inkjet printers. Inkjet printers are better for this kind of project, especially if you want strong, lasting colors.

2. What type of fabric works best for printing?

Light cotton fabric is ideal because it absorbs ink well and maintains fine details in miniature prints. However, you can experiment with different fabric types depending on the look you’re going for.

3. Do I need a special type of ink for fabric printing?

No, standard inkjet printer ink works fine for these small projects. Just keep in mind that if the fabric will be washed, the colors might fade without using a fabric medium or special ink.

4. Can I wash the fabric after printing?

If you’ve coated the fabric with fabric medium, it will help the ink stay longer, but generally, washing may still cause some fading. These prints are best for decorative purposes that don’t require frequent washing.

5. What can I do if my fabric jams in the printer?

Make sure the freezer paper is ironed flat and properly attached to the fabric before printing. If fabric still jams, try cutting it slightly smaller to fit better in the paper tray or adjusting your printer settings.

6. How do I keep the colors from fading over time?

Using fabric medium can help protect the colors, but avoiding direct sunlight and water exposure will also help your prints last longer.

Printing your own dollhouse fabrics is not only fun, but with just a few simple materials and your home printer, you can transform your dollhouse decor into something truly special. Why settle for ordinary when you can personalize every detail?

If you’ve given this a try or have any questions, I’d love to hear from you! Drop a comment below, and let’s chat about your mini-printing adventures!

I wish you happy crafting!

Kind regards,

Lizzy

 
Posted : 07/10/2024 9:15 pm