Painted Burlap Fall Decor

Happy Labor Day! I hope all of our readers who are reading this on post day are getting to have the day off and are either having some alone time or family time – whichever you prefer. ;)

With it being September 1, I start to get excited about fall being just about here. I LOVE to decorate for fall. It's the colors and the crisp mornings and evenings that make me happy. As soon as the first of September comes, I haul out my fall décor. That's what I started over the weekend and am still working on today.

A few of my friends – if you remember – may know that last year I painted a leaf on a piece of burlap for some fall décor. It was a Pinterest-inspired craft. I really liked how it turned out. (Ignore my reflection in it, please.)

This year I wanted to show on our blog how I did it and add a couple more pieces to it to create a grouping. Using classic fall motifs, I thought I would add an apple and some pumpkins. Finished project:

You will need burlap, craft paint, foam brush, freezer paper, an iron (and ironing board), die cutter (or be a patient saint and cut out the shapes yourself), and a frame. I used frames I have had for a while (cheap 12x12 frames I bought at Hobby Lobby on sale plus a wood one I swap out for various décor items).

I have both the Silhouette and Cricut die cutters but am using the Silhouette for this project. Looking at what frames I had available for this project I sized the images allowing for white space around it, because I did not want my image right to the edge of the frame. This is on my computer where I was designing in the Silhouette software program.

Placing my freezer paper shiny side down on the cutting mat, I chose the correct settings and let my machine do the work. (For a Silhouette, choosing "vellum" paper works great. For a Cricut, set blade to 4, speed to 3, and pressure to 3.)

Why freezer paper? Some of you may know this. Some of you may not. BUT freezer paper is amazing when doing stencil crafts on fabric. Why? Because freezer paper is not only good for covering raw meat for the freezer, it also can be ironed onto fabric making it perfect for making stencils! Using a die cutter or scissors to hand-cut the design (shiny side down), you then iron the freezer paper with the steam turned off onto your fabric where you want it (shiny side down!). It becomes a temporary iron on and will easily pull off after you are finished painting. Plus, you can reuse the design until it will no longer iron on or gets too gunky with paint to use. (Here's the freezer paper I use, but I bought mine at Wal-Mart.)

Back to the project...

After my design was cut, I slowly and carefully peeled it from the cutting mat, making sure not to tear the paper. I used the negative image of the design for this project - meaning what's left when you remove the image that was cut out. It tends to roll up after you pull it off the cutting mat. I cut excess off around the stencil leaving about an inch around the design for better placement on the fabric. Then it was time to cut the burlap to fit in my frame.

*BURLAP TIP* When you buy burlap at the store, you will have raggedy, frayed edges. You want to make sure you cut the burlap straight. To do so, find one of the strands along the edge of the fabric that runs the entire length (or width). Carefully pull that strand out. You can use a pin to help pull it out along the way if needed. Cut along the line where you pulled the strand out. Once you have done this, you will have a straight line to use for measuring and cutting. This keeps your fabric from fraying too. Do the same for the other direction you will need to cut.

I ironed my freezer paper to the burlap next. Remember to have the steam turned off on the iron. 

Make sure there are not any folds in the paper especially in the corners. In the end I wish I had grouped my pumpkins and text closer together. Think about things like that when you are planning.

I didn't want the leaf on my apple so I cut it off the shape and ironed it in the gap.

I wanted to have a little edge on my burlap so I pulled out some extra strands on all four sides. This can be done at the end of the project if you want also. It's a good trick for if you do not center your images very good. Then you can just center your burlap on a background piece of cardstock as a mat.

I squirted several dabs of color on a foam plate for mixing for painting my apple.

Obviously, burlap with its holey nature is extremely porous so I made sure my workspace was covered before I started painting. I found papers in the trash can in our school room to use. Go me for upcycling....or is that recycling?!?

Carefully dab the paint on with the foam brush. Do not use large amounts of paint along the edges or it could possibly seep under the freezer paper. Applying light coats is best to cover the edges. The freezer paper gets damp as paint gets on it so be mindful of that.

Layering paint for dimension and added texture is easy to do when painting fabric like this.

Freezer paper pulled off:

For my pumpkins I needed to layer the design. After my first layer dried, I ironed on the stems and painted that area.

Let the paint dry. Remove the freezer paper. Place in frame.

Enjoy!

This project was a freebie for me because I had all the supplies in my craft room already. It took no more than an hour and a half start to finish (and that was with a couple of interruptions). The paint dries quickly on the burlap which helps to keep the project going.

You could use this idea for any time of year. Think ornament, tree, and gift for Christmas or do three separate shapes of the main figures of the nativity (baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph). Then there's other celebrations: St. Patrick's Day (shamrocks in various shades of green), Easter (eggs, bunny, or cross), weddings, and even birthdays (gifts, cake, candle, or the year you're celebrating). They would make the PERFECT gift anytime of year when you put one in a frame.

Here's a simple envelope pillow cover I made one Saturday last year using this technique. I used painter's drop cloth for this project. Super easy, lots of possibilities, cheap, and fun!

Does this get any of your creative juices flowing? Let me know of any ideas you have for this technique!