How to make stamped cloth napkins with leaves for fall

Easy DIY stamped cloth napkins with pretty fall leaves using inexpensive acrylic paint and store bought linens.

Larisa and I have been planning dinner parties together for years.

Whether it’s a simple pizza night for us and our husbands or a more well thought out international dinner, we have fun coming up with menus, trying new cocktails, and planning all the little details that make gatherings extra special.

We haven’t ever shared this part of our lives with you on the blog.

So we thought it would be fun to start during our favorite season…FALL!

We’d also like to give you a glimpse of our favorite place. Maine, where we live.

Larisa got our party planning juices flowing last week when she showed us how she made a table runner out of linen that she dyed herself using botanicals.

This week I’m so excited to show you how to make pretty fall leaf napkins in this easy stamped cloth napkin DIY tutorial!

I think they are going to make the perfect colorful and natural addition to our simple fall tablescape on a budget.

I’ve taken my inspiration from one of the most well known attractions in Maine during the fall.

Colorful fall foliage!

Table of Contents

• How to make stamped cloth napkins with leaves
  • Stamped Cloth Napkins DIY- Video
  • Stamped cloth napkin DIY Supplies
  • Step 1: Prepare napkins
  • Step 2: Prepare paint and set up printing station
  • Step 3: Print leaves onto cloth napkins
  • Step 4: Finish diy leaf stamped cloth napkins

How to make stamped cloth napkins with leaves

Can you believe I don’t own a set of fabric napkins?

Larisa made these adorable and easy diy floral cloth napkins that look like embroidery and I’ve been dying to get some ever since.

These diy hand stamped cloth napkins are:

• Fun. I can’t believe how much fun I had making something so simple! I felt like a kid in art class again!
• Easy. I used premade cotton napkins for this project, no sewing.
• Inexpensive & Simple. I looked into a lot of different possible inks and paints to use for this project. But in the end, I decided to keep it simple. Acrylic paint is readily available, affordable, and leftovers can be used for many different types of crafts and projects later.

Stamped Cloth Napkins DIY- Video

Stamped cloth napkin DIY Supplies

• Set of cloth napkins (cotton)
• Acrylic paint I used FolkArt Multi-Surface in red cardinal, daffodil yellow, and pure orange
• Fabric painting medium
• Newsprint
• Leaves
• Foam applicator
• Iron

Step 1: Prepare napkins

I know it’s tempting to break out the paint and get to town printing.

But if you want your leaf stamped cloth napkins to be as successful as possible you should need to wash and dry them first to remove chemicals that could keep the paint from sticking to the fabric correctly.

First, I washed my store bought napkins according to the directions on their tag.

Then, I ironed them once they were dry.

Step 2: Prepare paint and set up printing station

First, I made a palette to out of a piece of cardboard wrapped in freezer paper to hold and mix my paint on.

Then, I mixed my paint up.

To help make acrylic paint adhere to fabric, add fabric medium to the paint according to package instructions.

The instructions on my DecoArt fabric painting medium called for a 2:1 ratio of paint to medium.

I measured out 2 teaspoons of paint and 1 teaspoon of medium onto my palette and mixed it thoroughly with an old spoon.

Next, I made myself a dobber to apply the paint to the leaves out of an old piece of foam I had, a small bottle, and tape.

There are probably a lot of different ways to apply the paint to the leaves that will work. This is just what I had on hand. You could buy a foam applicator or try using a brush or piece of cloth.

Last, I lined my work area with newsprint to protect the counter from paint.

This project gets a little messy with paint on the leaves and your hands, but it’s really fun!

Step 3: Print leaves onto cloth napkins

Now, time for the fun part!

First, apply paint to the back side of your leaf.

It’s important to put the paint on the back side because that’s where all the detail is that will get transferred onto the fabric with the paint.

It takes a couple of times printing the painted leaf onto the fabric to tell how much paint to use.

Don’t be afraid to use enough paint.

I used three different colors of paint and applied a little of each and blended to get a realistic fall foliage look.

Next, move your painted leaf paint side up to a clean piece of paper.

Clean any paint on your hands off with a baby wipe or moistened paper towel.

Then, carefully place a cloth napkin on the leaf, holding the leaf in place, and pressing down firmly the napkin onto the leaf.

Some paint may come through the fabric and get onto your hands.

Be careful not to get paint everywhere. If you get paint on your hands wipe it off immediately before you touch the napkin. (I kept baby wipes or a damp paper towel close by to wipe the paint off my hands frequently)

Last, lift the napkin up and carefully remove the leaf to reveal your leaf print!

You can stamp as many or as few leaves as you want on each napkin.

Since I was having so much fun…and I’m an over achiever, I kept going and going and printing and printing.

I love how bright the colors I used came out! They look just like the beautiful Maine fall leaves!

And since I used fabric medium in the paint and heat set it, they are washable and reusable.

Step 4: Finish diy leaf stamped cloth napkins

Allow the paint to dry for 24 hours.

Then, iron the painted leaves, according to directions on the fabric painting medium, to heat set them to the fabric.

I can’t wait to see them on the table at the fall in Maine dinner party Larisa and I are planning!

What is your favorite thing about fall?

I love the cooler temperatures, hot drinks, pumpkin, mums, apple cider… I love it all!

Thanks for visiting. See you soon!

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