Using Crayons to Color a Quilt

Break out that box of crayons and make a colored quilt block to use in a quilt, as an applique for a T-shirt, or even a pillowcase.  It’s easy.

Coloring a Quilt With Crayons

These directions are for using regular crayons on 100% cotton.  If you want to color on synthetic or synthetic blend fabrics, you may need to color on paper first, then transfer the design using a hot iron. Test on an inconspicuous area first. Fabric crayons are ideal for transferring colorful designs permanently to all your craft and home sewing projects when using synthetic and synthetic blend fabrics.

Start by prewashing your 100% cotton fabric without using a fabric softener or dryer sheet.  Then iron it to a stabilizer like freezer paper.  Using a lightbox, trace your design onto the fabric using a fine Pigma pen.  If you don’t have a lightbox, try a glass-topped coffee table with a lamp underneath.  You could also tape your paper design to a window during daylight, then tape your fabric to be outlined over that. 

Here’s a Tip

Coloring books are a good place to find open designs with clearly defined lines.  

Color Your Pattern

Now color your pattern, pressing down firmly on the crayon.  The darker the better.  You can also use melted crayons if you are the adventurous sort. For a great stained glass look, you could scan a motif into your computer, then print it on fabric adhered to freezer paper using an in-jet printer. (A laser printer will melt the freezer paper.)  Color the design, then trace over the lines with a  black Pigma pen.  You will get rid of the excess wax in the next step.

Protect your ironing board with a couple of sheets of newspaper or paper towels.  Put the colored fabric face up and cover it with a paper towel. Press with an iron set on wool or medium. As you press, you will see the paper towel start to absorb the excess wax.  It may or may not have color.

Change the paper towel and press until there is no longer any wax. If you don’t think it’s dark enough after pressing it, you can go over it again with crayons and then press again.  When you are finished, let it cool a bit and peel off the freezer paper. You might want to turn the fabric over repeat the process with the backside of your crayoned design up.

Let your fabric cool before you use it.  You can do a wash of clear textile medium or transparent textile paint (like Seta color) over the crayons to make it more permanent, but it probably won’t be necessary unless you plan to wash your quilt often.  If you do need to wash, use cold water on the gentle cycle and line dry.

A Crayon Box Project

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