You guys, I'm obsessed! My table is covered in tiny gold flakes and I have no plans to clean up! (*warning: therundmcb is not responsible for any new addictions we help create) I now have hologram accented pillows, a gold foiled snapback, a shiny leopard foil triangle tank, and two VOTE tees. Yes, two...one silver and one gold, duh. I love a good metallic accent and our apartment is full of bits of copper, gold, and silver. So naturally when I decided I wanted to make a VOTE tee to remind others of the often slighted mid-term elections, I decided it should be gold. I also wanted to achieve this without the expense and equipment that comes with conventional screen printing and foil transfer process. The hunt was on.
My first stop was the art supply store in our neighborhood. Since I have experience screen printing and using foil, I knew my best bet was going to be finding foil transfers. The art supply store only had Speedball Simple Leaf. I wanted to add the foil to a shirt and this type of foil is delicate and not washable so it is often used to make wooden frames extra fancy. I grabbed a package and some of the same brand Metal Leaf Adhesive anyway, because I have plans for a small kitchen shelf.
After a week long search through several store fronts, I finally found the foil transfers I was looking for online. Deco Foil from iCraft makes foil rolls that are not too big (regular foil transfer rolls were up to 200' long), come in a variety of colors and are made right here in the USA, The Jones Tones Foil Glue, washable and stretchable, was conveniently located on the same site, so I chose gold, silver, purple and leopard, and waited for it to arrive. During the wait I discovered a package of Tulip Iron-On Transfer Sheets in Hologram Silver and Gold (I think I found them at a Joann store) in my ever growing pile of 'things to make', I now had three ways to make the one VOTE tee I had set out to make. Luckily, it didn't take me long to realize my life was severely lacking in fancy foiled things. I decided to use a black snapback, tank tops, white fabric, dark forrest green fabric and finally the grey shirts for the VOTE top.
Ok, you DO NOT need everything you see above. I recommend reading through the three different foiling options BEFORE you make any purchases. The type of foil will vary depending on what you will be foiling, how much time you have and your desired result.
First, you need to decide what you will be foiling and what you want to foil onto it. In my case, pretty much everything I wanted to foil was cotton. I knew I wanted to make VOTE tees and then use a triangle stencil I had to add accents to some other items. You can chose anything, add some metallic to those bland tea towels, dress up a drab dresser or make your very own VOTE tee.
Now it's time to foil.
Let's start with the quickest route, the Iron-On Transfer Sheets. These are really simple and great for use on any fabric that can be ironed. For this you will only need your iron-on sheet, iron, scissors, marker, a thin cloth and your fabric/tee. Once you are done you can wash inside out gentle, air dry.
- Place the sheet face down and trace out your design on the back 'rough' side.
*FLIP your design and trace the mirror image so that when you flip it over to iron it on it will be facing the way you intended. For example, when I was cutting out V-O-T-E, I traced the E backwards (the other letters are the same either way so I didn't need to worry about them). - Cut out your design with die cut, design knife, or scissors.
- Heat your Iron to the proper fabric setting. Position on your fabric facing right side up.
- Take the thin cloth (I just used a small piece of white cotton) and place it over your design. Iron your design in place (with thin cloth on top) for about 40 seconds and press down firmly. Check to make sure the edges set, re-iron if needed.
I was happy with the results and I love that the silver VOTE is a mirror! My only problem is that it looks a bit like a sticker and feels very different than the foil transfers, almost feels like vinyl.
Next, let's work with the Speedball Simple Leaf (this comes in a variety of colors, I chose gold leaf). You can use this foil on most non-fabric materials like wood and metal, but I decided to try it on fabric. This has a gold leaf effect, like old architectural details, so the result is completely different than the foil transfers. I knew right away I wanted to use this on the underside of the brim on a black ill fitting snapback I'd been meaning to 'enhance'.
- Make sure you have a clean dry surface. With a brush, apply a thin coat of the adhesive. *tip: mix a bit of paint in a color matching your leaf while you spread out the adhesive. This way, if the leaf starts to crack, it wont be as noticeable.
Let the adhesive dry for 30 min to one hour. You want it to be tacky to the touch but NOT WET (color of glue will change from milky to clear). I had to wait an hour with the snapback and almost two with the dark green fabric. - Once the adhesive dries you can apply the leaf. Just pull out a sheet, lay the leaf on the adhesive rub, rub, rub and then pull of the wax sheet. The leaf says it only comes off where the adhesive is, but i found it a bit messier than advertised. I'm totally ok with it but be prepared for a little clean up. I used a soft paint brush to dust away the excess foil.
- Let that sit for at least two hours. Depending on what you decided to foil you will want to seal it. The same brand carries several different sealants so be sure to choose the right one for your material. I spayed a light layer of clear enamel that over the top because it was a five dollar hat that doesn't quite fit so I wasn't worried if it was ruined. Be sure to get the right sealant to protect your hard work!
I am so happy with the hat! I will probably use the green for some holiday decor even though it isn't perfect. It was not intended for fabric so I really can't complain about the results. My large triangle used almost three sheets of the gold leaf. For the snapback, I wanted it to look really layered and thick so I used almost four sheets. The pack came with 18 sheets so i still have plenty for that kitchen shelf I've been meaning to get to.
Finally, my newest favorite, the iCraft Deco Foil. My expectations were really low. I was worried the results weren't going to be as good as the hype. I was wrong. Not only were they really easy to use, you could/should do this with your kids, but the results were really impressive. I've already worn the two tops I made. Plus, I can wash them in cold water and hang dry them. You will need adhesive,
- Take your design or stencil and trace it onto freezer paper, use the paper side not the plastic side. You DO NOT need to mirror image your design on the freezer paper because you are going to iron the freezer paper onto your fabric.
- Cut out your design using a design knife to create a template with the freezer paper.
- Heat the iron to the proper setting for your fabric. Place your freezer paper template in place on your fabric and iron to attach to fabric (don't worry it will peel right off).
- Fill in your design with a solid layer of Jones Tones Foil Glue using a blush or sponge. Let that dry for at least 30 minutes. I found that using a thicker layer of glue and giving it more time to dry (up to two hours) gave better results than a thin layer. Again, glue goes from milky to clear,
- Take your sheet of foil and place it onto the dry adhesive color side UP (they all have silver backsides). This might seem weird but you surely want the color side UP.
- Rub the foil onto the adhesive (there is a clear protective layer). I found that using a soft cloth really worked. Rub, rub, rub, press, press, rub. Slowly start to remove the foil sheet, it will ONLY stick to adhesive. If you see any spots where foil didn't stick, stop pulling back and try to press down again. Do this for the entire design.
- Now the hard part, you have to wait and let that air dry for 12 hours before you wear it...you can do it!
As i said before, the iCraft Deco Foil was my favorite and if you are willing to take the day (most of that is wait time) offered the best results. It is stretchable, not too thick and doesn't affect the way the fabric lays. It can also be used in MANY other crafts that don't involve fabric! Maybe a leopard detail around that small vintage mirror would look nice? BRB!
Remember DO NOT iron or dry any of your fancy new goods and to tag us @rundmcb to show us what you make!
