Crochet Printmaking DIY

Printmaking had always been a mysterious process for me, until the day I found out that you could basically chop a potato in half and carve out a design to stamp with. Or buy rubber stamps. Big whoop, right? Then I thought of something really cool that I would totally do: crochet printmaking! I love to combine different crafts into a new form of artwork or design, so this was exciting to make. Follow this tutorial to make your own!

Supplies

• US B/1 2.25mm crochet hook
• Aunt Lydia's Fashion Crochet Thread Size 3
• Gloss sealant (Mod Podge or other brand)
• Paintbrush
• Tacky glue
• Wooden knobs (I found mine at Hobby Lobby for .99 each)

Crochet your little flowers. I've included two designs for you to choose from. (If you are new to crochet, check out Basic Stitches in Crochet over at About.com)

Flower 1: 

Chain 4, join with slip stitch in first chain to form ring.

Round 1: Chain 1, work 9 single crochets in ring, join with slip stitch to top of first single crochet.

Round 2: *Chain 3, slip stitch in 3rd chain from hook (picot formed), slip stitch in next single crochet, repeat from * around, join with slip stitch in base of first picot. Fasten off.

Flower 2:

Chain 4, join with slip stitch in first chain to form ring.

Round 1: Chain 1, work 12 single crochets in ring, join with slip stitch to first single crochet. 

Round 2: Chain 1, (single crochet, half double crochet, double crochet, half double crochet, single crochet) in same single crochet, skip next single crochet, (single crochet, half double crochet, double crochet, half double crochet, single crochet) in next single crochet, repeat from * around, join with slip stitch to first single crochet. Fasten off.

Run a quick steam iron over your motifs to flatten them out and bring out the stitch pattern.

Now paint both sides of motifs with a sealant, either Mod Podge or another brand. This helps protect the thread from the ink or paint, and gives the motif more of a 3D look. It also catches and distributes the ink.

Using tacky glue, glue your motifs to the bottoms of the drawer knobs. Allow to dry completely.

And you're ready to start stamping! Use a regular ink pad or get fancy and paint different colors onto your motif. I bought a few ink pads and some tags and cards at Hobby Lobby - I love how these came out! The vagueness is so charming. 

And there you have it! You've just combined two completely different crafts into a new, exciting one! Have fun stamping - you could buy larger knobs and crochet larger squares or flowers, or even knit a little swatch of stockinette stitch and try stamping that. I recommend working with cotton fiber, and sealing with glue to keep the fibers from smushing or becoming worn out quickly. 

Using this technique, you can stamp paper bags for favors, envelopes, cards - try stamping fabric too!