Fabric Printing with Sponges & Foam
Cut shapes from foam or use sponge pieces to print repeating patterns onto fabric — tote bags, pillowcases, or fabric squares. Fabric paint is permanent when heat-fixed with an iron.
Textiles
Ages 5–1145 minsEasyIndividual or class
Watch on YouTube
Search: "fabric printing sponge foam shapes kids tutorial tote bag" — video tutorials from popular craft channels
What you'll need
- Plain cotton tote bags or fabric squares
- Fabric paint in 3-4 colours
- Foam sheets (for cutting shapes)
- Scissors
- Paint trays or plates
- Iron (adult use, for heat-fixing)
- Cardboard to insert into bag
How to do it
- Cut simple shapes from foam sheets — stars, circles, leaves, geometric shapes.
- Insert cardboard inside the tote bag to prevent paint bleeding through.
- Pour fabric paint into flat trays.
- Press foam shape into paint, then press firmly onto fabric. Lift cleanly.
- Build up a pattern — repeat shapes, rotate, overlap colours.
- Leave to dry flat for 2-3 hours.
- Heat-fix with an iron (adult only): place a cloth over the design and iron on medium heat for 2 minutes.
💡 Tips
Fabric paint is permanent after heat-fixing — cover the table well. Let one colour dry slightly before adding the next to prevent muddy mixes. Simple geometric shapes create the most striking repeating patterns.
Books and materials
Convenience links for everything mentioned above. We link to Amazon — LessonKind may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.