Take inspiration from nature with eye-catching printed napkins that’ll brighten up the dining table
There’s a nip in the air, so now’s the time to wrap up and plan a cosy get-together with good friends and good food. We’ve teamed up with Seasalt Cornwall and creative designer, Becki Clark, to bring you this printed napkin project, guaranteed to give your gatherings a lovingly homemade touch.
You will need
Fabric
Scissors
Small potato
Knife
Fabric paint
Paintbrush
1 Start by cutting your fabric to size. You could give old clothes a new lease of life – Becki’s used linen from preloved Seasalt garments. Also, think about the finish of your napkins; you may want to hem them, however pinking shears will give a pretty edge, while tearing the fabric will give a more rustic raw look.
2 For this simple pattern, cut your potato in half to create a circular stamp, then cut a thin slice of potato for your stem stamp.
3 Use your paintbrush to apply a thin layer of fabric paint to your thin slice of potato.
4 Begin on the left-hand side of your napkin and print a stem line downwards from the top. Stop and reapply more paint if needed to keep the paint line looking consistent.
5 Apply a thin layer of paint to the potato half and print circular leaf shapes opposite each other on either side of the stem line, finishing with a final circular print at the top of the stem. Repeat this process down the centre and right-hand side of the napkin.
6 Hang your napkins or lay flat to dry.
This project was created by Becki Clark, a multidisciplinary creative designer and author who is based in the New Forest. Her simple thing is nature and watching the seasons change, which in turn inspires her work, books and craft projects. beckiclark.com
Discover Seasalt Cornwall and find more craft ideas at seasaltcornwall.com.
Becki’s Style
Try creating a mood board with your chosen fabric, inspiration and colours to help you decide on the final look.
I experimented with cream fabric paint before deciding to work with black for the final napkins.
Take inspiration from nature. If you spot something that catches your eye whilst out and about, take a photo on your phone for reference. Many botanical motifs can often be broken down into simple shapes that you can recreate in a potato print.
Sketch out your print idea and try repeating a single motif in different directions to explore repeat patterns.
