Give your table linens a one-of-a-kind look by block-printing charming leaf and flower designs.

Tools and Materials
Leaf and flower template
Pencil
Mastercarve artist-carving blocks: one 4-by-6-inch for leaves, one 2 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch (or larger) for flower
Bone folder
Linoleum cutter with V- and U-shaped attachments in different sizes
Pebeo Setacolor transparent water-based fabric paint
Wide paintbrush
Solid linens for printing (pre-washed and ironed)
Iron

Block-Printed Table Linens How-To
1. Print leaf and flower template. Trace over designs with a pencil. Carefully place paper, pencil-marked side down, on a Mastercarve artist-carving block.

2. Rub the wide edge of a bone folder over paper to transfer the pencil-marked designs to carving blocks.

3. Use a linoleum cutter with the V-shape attachment to carve the outline of the designs. Switch to a U-shape attachment to carve out larger areas around the designs.

4. Apply a thin layer of transparent water-based fabric paint to the leaf block with a wide brush. Print on fabric with block, re-inking as needed.

5. Print dogwood flower as you did the leaves.

6. Let the fabric dry for about 15 minutes, and then set paint with an iron according to paint manufacturer's instructions.

Tip: Clean blocks for re-use with a damp cloth and a mild, alcohol-free detergent. Printed fabric can be machine-washed once the designs are set with an iron.

Resources
Special thanks to Living crafts editor Athena Preston for demonstrating this project from "Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts." Members of our studio audience received a craft knife from Martha Stewart Crafts.

Linoleum cutter and attachments are from Speedball. Mastercarve artist-carving blocks are from Staedtler. Setacolor transparent water-based fabric paint is from Pebeo. Hemstitch linen napkins are from the Martha Stewart Collection, available at Macy's.