DIY Cheater's Quilt Square

 

I created these quilt squares using budget Ikea cotton fabric, painters tape and fabric paint. I really like the graphic results!

Supplies: 

• Ikea Ditte Fabric in natural cut in to 16"x 16" squares
• black fabric paint (acrylic paint will work too, but the result may be stiff/ scratchy)
• a roll of dollar store painter's tape
• black permanent marker
• dollar store plastic table cloth to protect any surfaces

Tools:

• ruler with inch measurements
• iron
• paintbrush
• container or pallet for paint

1) Mark out every 12" with a dot. Then mark out every 4" to create a 12" x12" grid pattern (16 dots in total as shown below).

2) cover your surface with a cheap plastic table cloth.

3) Tape down you cloth with the dot grid with painters tape

4) Add a strip of tape that follows the dots on the left side. Then add strips of tape under the bottom row of dots and under the second row of dots

5) Add diagonal strips of tape, connecting the upper dots to the lower dot in the diagonal corner - keep the tape above the dots

6) Apply paint to the inside of the triangles. allow to dry for 5 minuets, and remove the tape. Then allow the paint to dry completely. 

7) Remove diagonal tape and the vertical strip of tape in the middle.

8) To mark out the center top and center bottom triangles, place a strip of tape that follows the vertical 2nd line of dots. Add 2 diagonal strips like in step 5.

9) Paint inside the triangle shapes.

10)  Remove the diagonal and horizontal pieces of tape as well as the inner vertical piece of tape. Allow paint to dry.

11)  Add a horizontal strip of tape under the 3rd row of dots (top corners of the lower painted triangles) Add a vertical strip of tape for the center far right triangle. Add strips of diagonal tape to create the far left and far right triangles.

12) Remove the diagonal and vertical tape, keeping the horizontal tape for the last, center triangle. Once the paint is dry, cut tape for the vertical and diagonal sides of the last triangle.

13) Remove all the tape and hang to dry completely. Iron the square to set the paint. Before using these squares on a project, paint one and allow to dry first, testing the texture to see what project would work best (say bed quilt vs a picnic blanket).