Tutorial: African Mud Cloth/Textile Art

Guest post yesteryear Annie of Sun too Glory

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 few summers agone I worked at a kid’s fine art army camp hither inwards Los Angeles. I taught a sewing cast to 1st too 2d graders too also assisted other teachers inwards their classes. There was ane instructor I was peculiarly fond of. She was similar every fine art instructor I remembered growing up, only fifty-fifty to a greater extent than eccentric too hilarious! One twenty-four hours she had the kids brand their ain African textile art, or also known equally mud cloth, using chocolate-brown newspaper bags too sharpies. I vicious inwards dear amongst this consider too forthwith joined inwards amongst the kids! Also, a practiced means to role upward those newspaper bags ane collects because you lot forget to convey your reusable bags to the grocery. I was too hence inspired I started making these at domicile for the wall too modest pieces to set on greeting cards.

To brand your ain you lot volition need:

Brown newspaper bag
Sharpies (different size tips if you lot like)
Your hands
Crayons or markers inwards white or dissimilar colors

Cut a newspaper purse into the size you lot would similar your fine art to be. I cutting mine at xiii x nineteen inches.

Crumble the newspaper inwards your hands…A LOT too for a long time! This may wound your hands afterward a while! You tin add together H2O to brand the newspaper a flake to a greater extent than pliable, careful of ripping though

The newspaper should overstep soft too supple. This is when you lot are create to commencement making your design!

Spread the newspaper dorsum out too commencement amongst your design. You tin e'er describe it out on a slice of combat newspaper or amongst a pencil on your art.

You tin uncovering approximately examples of African textile fine art here or here. I used my ain inspiration for this ane from designs I similar to doodle inwards my ain art.

Add inwards approximately white particular or color if you lot like. Crayons, colored sharpies, or fifty-fifty pigment sharpies are swell (which is what I used)!

I dear this projection because you lot tin create it amongst children too. But also uncovering a release of uses similar wrapping paper, a card, wall art, or fifty-fifty disposable placemats.