Can you paint with watercolour on fabric? Yes you can! Chasity is here to help you learn how to make a pretty gift for Mother’s Day by painting pouches with Kelly Creates Watercolor Inks!
Kelly Creates Supplies: Daisy palette, lettering brushes, Watercolor Inks Set 1 and Set 2, Metallic Jewel brush pens, Black Fineliners, Deluxe lettering kit
Other supplies: fabric pouches ( Amazon), Daniel Smith Transparent Watercolor Ground, Large brush or foam brush
Hey Lettering Friends! I hope that you are all doing great! It’s May already, and that means that Mother’s Day is right around the corner. Time sure is flying by, but there is still plenty of time to make a handmade gift for Mom.
Today I am sharing a tutorial for a Mother’s Day pouch that you can make using Kelly’s products for the special Mother in your life. Every Mom loves a handmade gift! I made a few different styles, so try one that works for you. Plus, I made one for a friend’s birthday! These little pouches are great for holding gift cards, candy, and best of all… Kelly Creates Pens! The perfect gift.
I started with a plain canvas pencil pouch or make up bag. These are inexpensive, come in a variety of sizes and can be found on Amazon, or if you sew, then you can make a pouch. You will also need a transparent watercolor ground medium.
Watercolor ground enables you to paint almost any surface with watercolor. This medium turns the pouch into a surface that can be painted. I used the Daniel Smith Brand and also found this on Amazon!
Start with a large Brush or foam brush and apply the watercolor ground to the pouch per the directions. I put a pretty generous layer on the canvas.
Cover the entire surface with the medium and set aside to dry. This particular brand said 2-4 hours but some are up to 24 hours. I did this step and let them dry overnight just to be safe. Note that the medium does stiffen the canvas, but it’s still flexible!
I wanted to create a floral design, so I sketched the flowers directly onto the pouch with a pencil. You can sketch anything on your pouch or use the Kelly Creates permanent black ink pad with floral stamp sets if you don’t want to draw.
Keep your pencil lines as light as possible since they most likely will not erase. Once you have a design you are happy with, it’s time to add some Kelly Creates Watercolor Inks! I choose Teal, Deep Yellow, Rose, Poppy, Violet, Emerald and white.
From Kelly’s Watercolor selection, but there are so many options. The key is to mix colors to get the desired colors you want to work with. I used the Kelly Creates daisy palette for mixing watercolor inks; the wells in the daisy palette are big enough to mix what you need.
I also used Kelly Creates lettering brushes #2 and #4. I like these brushes because they are small enough to paint details nicely.
Start painting the flowers and leaves. I am a complete novice when it comes to watercolor, but I had so much fun trying this, and was happy with the results. A few tips for water coloring on these pouches; they do bleed a little, even with the medium. The watercolors didn’t layer well unless you let them dry in-between coats. Use a hair dryer or heat tool to help the drying process along.
Keep adding layers and colors until you are happy with the results. I added a pop of purple and yellow to add interest to some of the flowers. I liked the way my pencil lines created an outline around the florals on the piece. Again, I kept it simple since this was the first time I worked with watercolor on canvas.
I wanted to personalize the pouch, so I used Kelly’s Bronze Small Brush Jewel pen and added “Mom” once the watercolor was dry.
The next canvas pouch design is super simple and easy to do for someone who might not want flowers or is not comfortable drawing florals. For this I just brushed the Rose Watercolor Ink across the centre of the pouch and let it dry.
Once that was completely dry, I added a sentiment with the Ruby Metallic Jewel Small Brush Pen. This will take a few coats, so faux calligraphy works well layering until you get the desired look. I also added a simple flower to the right side to fill some space.
OK are we having fun yet? I was glad that I prepped a few pouches because I just kept wanting to do more. These are really fun to make!
If you’re ready to just jump in to all the watercolor, the next example is just that. I used Rose watercolor again, but at full strength. I did not dilute it at all with water. I wanted this to be vibrant. Using Kelly’s #4 brush, I started to letter “Mom” on the center of the canvas.
I did find that I had to load my brush with the watercolour ink frequently. It absorbs quickly into the canvas. But it did not bleed very much which was great.
To add some highlights to this, I waited until it dried a little and used the White Watercolor ink to add a few light strokes to each letter. I used the #2 brush. I did need to add a few layers to make these white. This really helped the word pop.
Next using the 01 black Fineliner pen, I added a shadow to the word leaving a small space between the pink and the black. This also helps to pop the word off the canvas and add dimension to it.
All of Kelly’s pens worked really well on the canvas with the medium. Last step is to add some flowers all around the “Mom”. I kept these really simple and just freehanded them. I did not draw them with a pencil first, but you certainly could. I used the same colors I had already mixed for the first canvas I did.
I used the non-diluted Rose Watercolor Ink to make the small buds to coordinate with the word ‘Mom”. I added these after I painted the flowers. I think this was my favorite one I made. Now, once that is dry, fill the pouch with all Mom’s favorite things!
I wanted to also share another version quickly if you wanted to make this for another occasion. These personalize watercolor pouches would be great to make for Birthdays, anniversaries, showers and more! You know I love to give gift cards, and I think this is a great way to add a personal touch to any occasion and dress up the gift card! Here is one I made with the same steps for a Birthday, and personalized it with a name.
And lastly, if you don’t want to work with the watercolors or medium, you can always use Kelly’s pens and draw directly on the pouch. The surface is a bit rough for brush pens but the black fineliners, aqua brushes and bullet tip pens would work too.
I hope you give one of these versions a try and share what you create with us on social media! There are many options for all skill sets. Thanks so much for stopping by. If you’re a mom, wishing you a very happy Mother’s Day!
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For more crafty lettering projects and inspiration, follow Chasity on Instagram @chiciscre8ive
Shop the supplies used by visiting http://www.KellyCreatesStore.com or clicking the images below.
