Printing can be expensive so I always like to create and come up with alternative methods for printing. This method uses a few tools and materials from the recycle bin.
- Cardboard
- Wood glue, or other PVA glue OR even double sided tape
- Packing Tape
- Craft Knife
- Squeegee or Old Credit Card
- Scissors
- Silks Screen or Window Sheers
Cut out 2 to 3 equal sized pieces of cardboard. Stack them so that the corrugation alternates direction. Cut a whole in the center of one sheet. Use that to measure and cut the holes for the other sheets. Stick and glue them together with your glue of choice.
Place the stack under weight until dry.
Place your screen over the hole on one side of the stack. Tape down all 4 corners, getting the screen as snug as you can. Apply and spread the glue in a generously even coating. Be careful not to dribble glue into the middle of your screen.
Once this is glued down, let it dry. Remove the tape from the corners.
After your glue has dried. If you have used a real silk screen screen, you can use a hair drier or heat gun to get that screen really tight. You want it to sound like a loose drum, and you should be able to bounce a coin on it. If you are using a window sheer or other loose weave fabric, try to get it as tight as you can with the tape.
Once the glue is dry, tape the whole thing up with packing tape or duct tape or whatever waterproof ish tape you have on hand.
Waterproofing is necessary if you hope to reusing these screens. If you aren’t planning on reusing them, no need to waterproof them. That said, what I like about these is that I’m making small screens- about the size of my hands. That can be printed with a credit card or other small squeegee. These are patch sized and work beautifully for pulling small patches. I’m also using up scraps of screen that would normally get trashed.
This is a screen in use. It prints both the 2025 and 2026 year for 2 slim patches. I’m using a small regular squeegee. This also uses wood glue as filler.
Some printed patches.
Patches, dried, heat set and cut to their individual year.
I make these patches every year to give out to my coworkers so that they can add the year to their work issued hoodies. Part of this exploration is to show the kids what they can do with their scraps but with a little bit of work and largely dollar tree supplies they can keep screen printing long after they leave the program.
All that said. I’m going to make some additional screen printed patches and try to figure out how to get them to iron on easily. I’ve tried e6000 iron on glue and it was terrible. (Just did a quick look and Heat n’Bond has gone way down in price and is actually pretty affordable now. BUT there are also 100s of off brands now available on Amazon for similar pricing. Wild. I remember spending a huge amount on Heat n’Bond ultimate hold back when I was bookbinding. Anyway, I have a way to make iron on patches and I wonder if I have any heat n’bond in my stash. I’m sure I do. I used to order the 5 yard rolls.)
I’m thinking some Artist, Artist-ish, No So Serious Artist, and a few other fun patches might be nice to put up on the shop. Anyone have any ideas for fun patches?