Craft tip: make lavender print yourself

Looking for an original gift idea? Beautiful and very personal gifts can be made with the help of lavender printing. With this simple method you can creatively design cotton bags, T-shirts, or sofa cushion covers with very personal motifs.

How does lavender printing work?

What you need:

An object made of fabric (this should be light-colored and pre-washed so that it can better absorb the color particles, e.g. a cotton shopping bag)
Lavender essential oil
A firm, smooth and sturdy surface (e.g. a cutting mat or a wooden board)
A wooden spoon or regular tablespoon
A mirrored laser printout of the motif of your choice (you can download the great Kneipp® Christmas motifs below). Important: Unfortunately, the whole thing will not work with a printout from an inkjet printer. The motif must be mirrored before printing (especially the font).
Baking paper
Brush
Adhesive tape to fix the printout

Download DIY lavender print

Step 1

Before starting, be sure to provide good ventilation. The smell of the lavender oil can become very intense. First, prepare the workplace, for this purpose, push the baking paper into the cotton bag, so that the back of the bag remains clean.

Step 2

Then place the printout of the motif on the front, with the print facing down. Fix the whole thing with adhesive tape - you don't want anything to slip.

Step 3

In the next step, carefully spread the lavender oil on the back of the paper with the help of a brush. The paper should be nicely saturated at the end. However, no puddles of oil should form on the motif.

Step 4

It is best to wait a few minutes until the oil is well absorbed by the paper. The paper will be completely transparent and you will be able to see the motif.

Step 5

Then you are ready to start: Place the cotton bag on a firm and smooth surface and rub the wooden spoon vigorously over the motif to transfer the paint particles to the cotton bag. The back of a normal tablespoon is also suitable. It's best to try out which method works best for you.

Step 6

In the meantime, you can check the progress of the ink transfer at one corner every now and then by carefully lifting the paper.

Step 7

When the desired result is achieved, remove the paper. Leave the motif to dry for a few hours. Then iron the motif: Put the baking paper on the printed side of the cotton bag and iron the whole thing on level 2. After that, the lavender print is washable at 30 degrees.

Step 8

Tip:Before you start on the actual gift, it's worth testing the method on a sample fabric. For this purpose, it is best to take a piece of woven cotton fabric, so that nothing can warp at the first attempt. For stretchy materials like jersey, you should already have a little practice.