OlyFun Paint Splatter Play Mat

Categories: Kid Friendly, Quilts

This OlyFun Paint Splatter Play Mat has little artists in mind. It can be used outside for picnics, landscape painting, or general kid mess catching. The lightweight fabric can be folded down small to fit into bags. It’s large enough for little to big kids to sit on. For multiple or older kid, you can make a larger version. OlyFun cuts like paper, doesn’t fray, will hold up to wetness, and sews well, making it great for an abstract design. Normal fabrics would need to be hemmed or backed with adhesive to prevent fraying, which can make detailed projects difficult. OlyFun makes this project go much faster. I used many colors of the 18 available colors, because when I paint, I like to use a the rainbow. This is an intermediate to expert sewing project, because I used a freehand embroidery foot. You must be very comfortable with sewing to use this foot skillfully. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll see why drawing with thread is much easier with a freehand embroidery than traditional foot!

What you need to make this project

Materials: 1 Yard OlyFun in Jet Black; Oly-Fun Craft Pack in Bubble Gum; Oly-Fun Craft Pack in Cherry Pop; Oly-Fun Craft Pack in Orange Crush; Oly-Fun Craft Pack in Lemon Drop; Oly-Fun Craft Pack in Kiwi; Oly-Fun Craft Pack in Clover; Oly-Fun Craft Pack in Sky Blue; Oly-Fun Craft Pack in Blueberry; Oly-Fun Craft Pack in Jelly; Oly-Fun Craft Pack in Orchid; Oly-Fun Craft Pack in Slate

Supplies: Black thread; Pencil; Scissors; Sewing machine; Freehand embroidery or quilting sewing machine foot

Quick Shop

Instructions

Step One

Freehand cut a lot of amoeba shapes from the colored OlyFun. These look similar to paint splatters. I didn’t have an exact number in mind, but I tried to keep the color amount even.

Step Two

Draw a paint brush head on the Bubblegum OlyFun (or color of your choice) Draw a long brush handle on the Slate OlyFun. Cut them out with scissors.

Step Three

Pin the paint brush head and handle at an angle along the Jet Black OlyFun yard. Pin the amoeba paint splatters onto the black OlyFun, to fill in the space. Leave spaces in between each splatter, for better contrast.

Step Four

With the sewing machine and black thread, Zigzag stitch around the brush head and handle.

Step Five

Straight stitch large zigzags on the brush head, for more definition.

Step Six

Add the freehand embroidery or quilting foot and black thread to your sewing machine.

Step Seven

Stitch around a splatter about 1/4″ from the edge. Unlike a normal foot, this one allows you to draw with the thread. You’ll move the fabric around, tracing the shape with the needle and thread. Continue sewing in a spiral towards the center, following the shape. Make sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of your stitching. Repeat for all the shapes until you’re finished.

Step Eight

When you are finished, it should look similar to mine.