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Painting Fabric to Make a Modern Table Runner

Have you ever tried painting fabric? We did just that to make this modern painted canvas table runner.

A Simple Stenciled Canvas Table Runner

With enough canvas fabric leftover from this easy to sew DIY storage ottoman and this DIY canvas wall hanging, I was able to make this simple table runner. And although I won’t need to wash these decorative painted canvas ornaments, a table runner is a very different story. I want to be sure that my paint with last with day-to-day use and wash cycles. By using a fabric medium, I can be certain that the design will endure all that comes without the worry of cracking, fading and peeling over time.

Last year, my husband refinished our dining room table using the existing legs but replacing the top with oak stained thick pine slabs. The previous table had become pretty beat up over the years with water stains, dents and nicks. I’m determined to take more care of this new table to keep it long lasting and looking great. So I not only love the look of this simple table runner but using it also helps protect the surface. Combine that with these reversible Christmas placemats, DIY rope placemat and coasters, coasters using Infusible Ink and these DIY photo coasters with resin, I think I’m set with options!

Materials Needed:

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Instructions:

Making a Table Runner out of Canvas:

Measure and mark your canvas fabric at 12 ½” wide and 90” long. You can adjust the length to fit your table allowing 10” to hang over on either end of the table.
Using fabric scissors, clip the cotton fabric ½” at the marked positions and pull apart the ends to create a continuous straight frayed edge. Repeat on all four sides.
If you wish, you can sew a single needle stitch in a matching thread color along all 4 edges to prevent further fraying in the wash. And last but not least, wash and dry the prepared canvas table runner prior to painting.

Stenciling the Table Runner

A few stenciling tips before you get started:
  • Blot excess paint from your stencil brush before painting to prevent the paint from seeping under the stencil edges.
  • For more coverage, it’s best to apply two thin coats instead of one thick coat and allow time to dry between coats.

Protect your work surface with a sheet of parchment paper and position the zig zag stencil at one corner of the table runner. Securely hold the stencil in place or alternatively, apply a piece of tape to hold stencil in place temporarily.

The 1st Row of Zig Zag:

Mix 2 parts Crafter’s Acrylic in Island Blue with 1 part fabric painting medium.
Using a stencil brush, dab the Crafter’s Acrylic island blue paint color over the stencil along one row of the zig zag pattern.

Remove the stencil and reposition to continue the stenciling along the entire length of the table runner.

The 2nd Row of Zig Zag

Position the stencil back to the start of the runner. Combine equal amounts of Crafter’s Acrylic in Island Blue with Crafter’s Acrylics in White to create a tonal color. Mix in 1 part fabric painting medium to 2 parts paint.

Dab the tonal paint color over the stencil along the second row of the zig zag pattern.

The 3rd Row of Zig Zag

Position the stencil back to the start of the runner. Mix 2 parts Crafter’s Acrylic in Pure Pumpkin with 1 part fabric painting medium.
Next, dab the pure pumpkin paint color over the stencil along the third row of the zig zag pattern.

The 4th and Final Row of Zig Zag

Position the stencil back to the start of the runner. Combine equal amounts of Crafter’s Acrylic in Pure Pumpkin with Crafter’s Acrylics in White to create a tonal color. Mix in 1 part fabric painting medium to 2 parts paint.
Dab the tonal paint color over the stencil along the 4th row of the zig zag pattern.

Finishing the Painted Table Runner

Once the paint is dry, heat set the painted table runner for 30 seconds with an iron. Or did you know you could use your Cricut EasyPress 2 to heat set the paint? Check out this post for 10 projects you didn’t know you could make with a Cricut EasyPress.

When finished style the runner on your table and enjoy!

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painting fabric

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