Fabric & Textile Marker Pens Set

Decorating a T-shirt with fabric pen markers

Slip a piece of cardboard inside the T-shirt before starting: the fabric stays flat and the ink cannot go through to the back. Your child draws the outline in a dark colour, then fills in the shapes with the brighter ones. Let it dry for a few minutes, turn the garment inside out and iron the back of the drawing to fix it.

Children are often proud to wear something they made themselves. A bag with their name for nursery, a cap for the summer holidays or a pencil case for the first school year all make a good first project.

Can you use acrylic pens on fabric?

Acrylic paint pens do mark fabric, but the paint sits on top of the fibres, feels stiff and can crack after a few washes. Textile markers are made for the job: the ink soaks into the cotton, stays soft and is fixed with an iron. For a child's project, they are the simpler choice.

Which fabrics work best

• Light-coloured cotton, canvas and linen show the colours best.
• On dark fabric, the drawing will hardly show.
• Wash a new garment once before drawing on it, so the ink takes evenly.
• Thick, tightly woven canvas is easier for small hands than stretchy jersey.

Drawing on cloth asks for a slower, firmer stroke than on paper, good practice for the grip and wrist. Alongside our Montessori teaching toys, it brings a real, useful object into the child's hands.

Characteristics

• Set of textile marker pens
• Dimensions: 8.8 cm
• Weight: 0.051 kg
• For ages 3 and up
• 2-year guarantee

Warning: small parts.