EASY PEASY DIY SCREEN PRINTING

I've seen a lot of easy screen printing set up in my time but this has to be the easiest and most genius. Heather over at Skinny Laminx is teaching a class on the easiest screen printing and it looks amazing. 

I think I can do it based on this one image alone. Get an embroidery hoop, some silk, a credit card, fabric paint, contact paper and get printing. All you have to do is cut your design out of contact paper, adhere it to your little screen and get printing. The credit card acts as a squeegee.

This may be next weekends project. Now I just need to find something that needs screen printing.

57 comments:

  1. Ooh! gotta try this! Thanks for sharing. :)

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  2. so much cheaper than the hudu machine! there really isnt a limit other than the size of the hoop. You could even make a big one out of 2 by 2's id guess. I love this idea! it will save me so much money when i open my business. I will screenprint my own merchandise!

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  3. love the credit card tip! you can also use ordinary paper which sticks to the screen with the first pull of ink :-)

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  4. It's called a Yudu, not a hudu.. And as for the quality, well you all saw the flower. I will stick with my Yudu!

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  5. My problem is always cutting out the design, it turns out so messy. :/ But this looks really great!

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  6. Used gift cards (the plastic kind - think Walmart, Trader Joe's, etc.) would work just as well as credit cards. Easier to find too!

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  7. This comment is directed to the person who posted about the quality vs the yudo. This is an economical way to screenprint for those that don't want to invest in a lot of equipment. I am sure you love your Yudo, which is great, I am also sure that those that have used or owned 'commercial' screenprinting would see less quality in your Yudo. Don't be snarky. I own a commercial screener and see the value of this process and the Yudo.

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  8. You could use a cricut to cut out your design if you want something more intricate.

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  9. Tip: use double-sided sticky tape on a piece of taped down cardboard and stick your fabric to it... the fabric won't lift up when you take the hoop off. You can use it over and over again as long as it doesn't leave too much behind :)

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  10. I don't get it...How do you do this? Sorry I'm not very crafty but would love to try some cute stuff:)

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  11. Beauty,

    Just cut your design out of contact paper, stick it to your silk fabric that you have stretched in the hoop. Then use the credit card like a squeegee and push the ink through.

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  12. Hi Avie,
    thanks for this tip. Not needing to do screen printing very often, buying an expensive piece of equipment would be a total waste of money. This idea is perfect and works lovely. I am lucky enough to have the Cricut Expression and therefore I am able to cut out the designs a little easier.
    This is also fantastic for upcycling fabric items too using fabric paints (try cushion covers, pillowcases even T-shirts etc).
    Ignore those who are negative, your kindness in sharing allows others to try the techinque without a vast expense.
    Many thanks Linda

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  13. What a fantastic idea! I have been trying to think of ways to make a caterpillar tee for my little man's 2nd birthday party - now am going to try this.

    As for the negative comments - if you don't have anything nice to say - keep quiet

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  14. People can be snarky...geesh. I personally love how this can be done with items already on hand. I am always interested in a lot of different art techniques and ideas and don't want to invest a lot every time an idea strikes. I think it would be interesting to see if sun printing / chemical burn outs would also help in making a design on the fabric to print. hmm...

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  15. Excellent idea! You can also use an old picture frame if you want to do something really really big - gets a bit tricky but certainly do-able. Make sure you have the fabric tight and tape around the inside to create a "Well" and nice clean edge for your print.

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  16. What is contact paper?? Sorry to those that know what it is. Just asking. :)

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  17. Contact paper is adhesive paper that you can find at any store like walmart or target or even the grocery store.

    thanks!
    avie

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  18. If contact paper flower is cut out nd stuck to silk, how do u get the red flower in ur pic? Paint won't pass thru solid so u would get outline of flower? Sorry guess i'm not getting it? Would be good project for sunday school kidlet project. Thanks

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  19. Anonymous,

    You would want to cut out the flower from the contact paper so that the contact paper keeps the ink off of the places you don't want it to show up.

    So just cut out what you want to see printed.

    thanks!
    avie

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  20. Love this... one of the Girl Scout Moms had a Yudo & made some awesome quilt blocks for a swap in DC. This would allow us to do it for almost anything anywhere. THANKS

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  21. This looks great! I'd love to try it but - please forgive the silly question - what kind of silk do you use? The weave looks fairly open in the picture, is there a special fabric you buy? Or literally just silk that would be sold in a bolt in Joanns or hobby lobby?

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  22. Jackie P,

    I think you could use a standard synthetic silk that you would find at the fabric store. You may want to pick up a few samples and try them out before committing to one. It's such a small area that it won't take much fabric.

    avie

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  23. thank you, is a great and inexpensive way to try screen printing if you like then you will deside if you want to get more expensive tools.Do you know where to buy silk screen by the roll?

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  24. I love this! I've been "ghetto screenprinting" for a while with the cut out contact paper but I've had to cut it out each time. This is a great way to reuse your stencil. Genius I say! Thanks for sharing!!

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  25. You can use any close knit sheer fabric..an old pair of hose that has run in an area that you slice (for a small project) or a silk like fabric (viole? sp?) as long as its stretched tight. I saw a version of this where modge podge was used as the 'resist' (the area that blocks the ink. you paint the modge podge where you DON'T want the ink to go using a stencil, let it dry, and then screen the ink through. )

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  26. I am a commercial printer and i use this on my screens all the time... i cut my vinyl contact paper right way up...peel out the design that i want to print...attach to my big screens and presto!! no chemicals...no expensive emulsion..
    We do tons of last names on uniforms and i can get 10 names on 1 screen...very economical in my business!!!!

    i have thousands of names/ designs that i will be uploading to my website soon.

    thanks for sharing this great tip!

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  27. I do a similiar method. Instead of using contact paper I brush Mod Podge onto fabric where I dont want the ink to go through. It takes awhile, but it's permanent. I make tshirts this way and sell them on etsy in my shop, NurseSarah78.

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  28. This is awesome. I found it on Pinterest and featured it on my blog today.

    Thanks for sharing.

    acoupleofcraftaddicts.blogspot.com

    Jess

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  29. Thank you for a great idea....love it!!! looking for great craft ideas for camp, this would be a good one to do for the kids who want to add to their tyedye shirts!
    Lucy

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  30. What a wonderful easy idea. Trying to find cute stuff to use for my new twin granddaughters and twin grandsons and for the kids cancer camp I work with. Thank you
    Lucy

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  31. Wow! That's a really economical way of doing things!

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  32. MANY BLESSINGS, THANKS FOR
    SHARING....RENEB/reT-GOV

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  33. Great idea and techniques...
    god speed, thank you for info..l
    reneeK(ret/gov)

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  34. i will definately keep this in the "to do " file .. especially for vacation bible school . we are always looking for simple(ish) craft ideas for the kids at church .. as for the one who has the professional grade screen printing machine .. kudo's to you. not everyone can afford to pay for those machines and still love to be crafty. i agree with everyone else . don't be so negative . as for contact paper at walmart it's in the houseware dept with shelf liner . you can get a pretty good size roll for next to nothing . i use the clear contact paper also for laminating things . it's quicker and cheaper :)

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  35. Nice work, I'll be sure to give this a try!

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  36. Can you combine the contact paper and modpodge ideas.....cut out a reverse design on contact paper, apply to the screen, then apply midge pudge, and when dry, remove the contact paper for a more permanent screen? Mt problem with the midge pudge is that it doesn't leave crisp edges.

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  37. Diy is reputable name in plastic cards printing known for affordable prices..

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  38. I have done this with photo emulsion just like you use for the yudu screen printer. This let's you get the detail that you can't get with contact paper. The emulsion runs about $20

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  39. How would you do multiple colors with this? Please explain to me. Looks interesting. Thank you!

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  40. super cute idea- will try on pillows!!!

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  41. what type of ink do you use? and where can you get it?

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  42. Jennifer, You can just use any type of fabric paint, you can get it at craft stores like Michael's.

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  43. Thanks so much for posting this. I agree with many here about not being snarky. Fact is not everyone has the luxury of a Yudu or other machine, and most do not need one for the infrequent desire to screen something. I appreciate your insight and the fact you answered everyone's questions. With sincere thanks.

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  44. Great idea to introduce middle school students to screen printing without having to buy all the expensive equiptment for classes of 30!!

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  45. Hi, love this especially as a cheaper way of doing screen printing for children. However one question what silk do you use as I looked into making my own screens but the specialist silk for screen printing is very expensive. thanks

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  46. My son is looking to put some of his drawings on shirts for him and his skate crew. This is an inexpensive way for teens to do this on their own. I will try it for myself then have them try it

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  47. Love it! I'm going to use pantyhose instead of silk and use glue or modge podge for the image. Love love love it!

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  48. This may seem like a silly question, but which side do you put the contact paper on? the side that faces down on the fabric, or the side that you squirt/squeegie the paint on? Thanks.

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  49. I love screen printing Plastic Cards & also provided you both digital and screen printing at reasonable prices.

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  50. un petit cadre à tamis pour la sérigraphie : je trouve l'idée excellente. merci.

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  51. For the people who are worried about messy cut-outs: I'm very uneven and messy when it comes to cutting with scissors, so generally I'll use rulers and a box-cutter to trace the lines of the design. I have rounded rulers but if you don't mugs and overturned bowls also work!

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  52. I dont understand how the ink on the silk doesnt bleed thru. Can some one please explain in a little more detail? I'd live to try this

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  53. Anonymous,

    You use contact paper to keep the ink where you want it. All you need to do is cut your design out of the contact paper and then stick it to the fabric. The ink will only go where your design has been cut out and no where else.

    Avie

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  54. So does the contact paper touch the fabric being painted? Or is it on the side with the paint?

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  55. The contact paper touches the fabric. It is not on the same side you are pressing on.

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