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Creating your Coloring Your Own product
To avoid unintentional bleeding, be aware that brand new marker packs are extremely juicy and have a higher risk of unintentional bleeding from the start. Follow these tips more closely with new marker packs.
1. Start with the smallest marker point that you have first so bleeding control is easy
2. Only use chisel tip to cover large spaces.
3. Most universal option is the standard fine point markers
Start in the center of an area and work outward to the edges
Stop coloring just shy of the black line. Let the natural bleeding close the gap.
As you use the set of markers you have, this step will become less necessary.
New markers bleed more than more broken-in markers.
Be careful with smaller details that you would like to have remain white.
Some people are more detail-oriented and would prefer to use ultra-fine point markers - See top butterfly
Others are more abstract and use a blending technique to color detailed areas - See bottom butterfly.
Both are beautify - color it your own way!
Which Markers Work best with our signature fabric?
Please note that for blankets, you will likely need multiple packages of markers regardless of the brand you buy.
| Marker type | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Graphmaster (found in our shop) | Blendable with Sharpies and other alcohol ink markers. | After first wash, fading and bleeding can occur by about 10-15%. Handwashing reduces this risk. |
| Sharpies | You might already have some! They work great. Lots of color options. | Same with Graphmaster, fading and bleeding can happen after first wash by about 10-15%. |
| Generic Alcohol Ink markers | Wide range of colors available. They blend with the above brands really well. | Each brand of alcohol ink markers have differing formulas. Wash results can vary. |
| Pagather Fabric Markers | Readily available on Amazon. No bleeding in the wash. The paint can take 30 mins to dry and if you color while its wet blending into a gradient is easy | The ink is paint-based so it will not blend with the above marker options. Because the paint can take some time to dry, blending can occur when you want to keep colors separate if you forget to wait to let a section dry first. |
| Other fabric markers | Readily available on Amazon. Lots of color options | The inks don’t flow out of the pen tip to get a saturated coloring effect. You have to press really hard. Sometimes they just feel like acrylic paint markers. See below for cons. |
| Crayola ultra washable markers | Work great. Available everywhere. You can color, wash, and color again. Lots of color options. Washes out completely | Can be hard to saturate the fabric fully with Crayola. |
| Generic washable markers | Usually inexpensive. Varying color options | Sometimes doesn’t wash out all the way. Can leave a faint stain behind. |
| Acrylic Paint Markers | No bleeding in the wash. Lots of colors available. | The colors are very opaque, which can color over the black areas or leave a white cast on the edges. |
| Metallic Sharpies | I do not recommend | The ink colors over the black area of our fabric. And it doesn’t even look metallic. |
Tips for Blending Colors Into a Gradient
View our example YouTube video here: [Tutorial] How to Blend Colors into a Gradient
Pick 2 marker colors that are next to each other on the color wheel.
Color the darker color first until you reach where you want the gradient to begin to transition to the 2nd color
Color with the 2nd color until the two colors are overlapping. The ink from the 2nd color will begin to melt together. For colors that have a stark difference, you may need to flip flop marker colors to get the desired blend.
Tips for Keeping Colors Unblended and Separate
View our example YouTube video: [Tutorial] How to Keep Colors Separate
Even if there is a line between two sections, it is important to follow this method to prevent blending where you do not want it to be.
Color the first section
Let it dry all the way. Color another are on the blanket while you wait for that section to dry.
Once it is dry, color the 2nd section next to it.
Did Some Ink Bleed Into an Area You Wish It Hadn’t Bled On?
View our example YouTube video: [Tutorial] How to Fix a Coloring Mistake
No worries. Wait until the ink is all the way dry and then color over it with your desired color. The first color needs to be all the way dry first or you will unintentionally create a gradient.
Washing best practices
- Wait about 30 days after coloring before washing
- Before you wash, place blanket into the dryer dry for one heat cycle to heat set the inks
- Wash alone
- Wash in COLD water only
- Use mild detergent only
- Add cap or two of white vinegar to the cycle
- BONUS – add scotch guard spray before washing (commentor trick, we haven’t personally tested it)
