Spoonflower Blog | Design, Sell, & Shop Fabric, Wallpaper, & Gift Wrap

Renew – Repurpose – Recreate : How Spoonflower Celebrates Earth Day 2017

April 20, 2017

On April 22, 1970, there was an uprising of more than 20 million Americans who stood up to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in impressive coast-to-coast rallies. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment. Groups that had been individually fighting against oil spills, pollution, toxic dumps, pesticides, water insecurity, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife suddenly realized they shared common values.

“For Earth Day 2017, communities must take the lead promoting Environmental and Climate Literacy. Now more than ever in recent history, people around the world are hungry to engage in public policy. It is up to all of us to use this unprecedented opportunity to build the change we need.”
-www.earthday.org

Announcing the Winners of the Limited Color Palette Succulents Design Challenge!

April 20, 2017

Succulents and Roses by Tory Sevas is the winner of the Limited Color Palette Succulents design challenge!

From prickly to pruned and terrariums to teacups, this week’s designers brought their best green (design) thumb for the Limited Color Palette Succulents design challenge. A big brava to Viktoria Sevastyanova for her winning design, succulents and roses! Tory will be receiving the grand-prize of $200 in Spoonflower credit. The 2nd place winner, beesocks will receive $100 in Spoondollars. The 3rd place winner, vo_aka_virginia will receive $50 in Spoondollars. The rest of the top 10 winners will receive $20 in Spoonflower credit. See all the top 10 winners.

1. 273 votes for succulents and roses by torysevas
2. 259 votes for Soothing succulents by beesocks
3. 242 votes for Sunset succulents by vo_aka_virginiao
4. 241 votes for succulent_garden by nadja_petremand
5. 225 votes for Tea Cups & Succulents by honoluludesign
6. 191 votes for Succulent Garden – Black by heatherdutton
7. 178 votes for Spiky Succulents by samalah
8. 176 votes for Paisley succulents by camcreative
9. 171 votes for Lime Zinger Sedum Too by lindiart
10. 165 votes for Succulent Waltz – Peach by ceciliamok

My Journey With Spoonflower

April 13, 2017

Hey y’all. Spoonflower’s social media and blog manager Theresa here. Usually I address you all as Spoonflower, but today I want to use first-person. It’s not often we get personal here on the blog, but I simply could not leave without saying goodbye! After five years with this amazing company I have decided to pack my bags and head west to Colorado to find a new adventure. Saying goodbye is never easy. Back in fourth grade I was the last kid to leave the classroom because I refused to let go of my teacher, Mrs. Howard — who I had quite literally become attached to. Today I find myself in a similar situation, although my fourth grade teacher is Spoonflower and this incredible community.

Before I go, I mainly just want to say thank you. In my time here I have been astounded, humbled and deeply inspired by all of you designers and makers who follow along with Spoonflower. It has been an honor to create and source content that inspires you. Watching this community grow and discover your own personal super powers has been a unique privilege I don’t take lightly. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your world and learn from you.

In the spirit of reflection, I want to look back and share some of my fondest memories with you all. While I will carry countless memories of Spoonflower with me when I go, these are the five that stand out the most.

1. Ryan Gosling “Hey Girl” Quilt for the 2013 Staff Challenge

Never will I forget the year I was on Team Hey Girl for the Staff Design Challenge back in 2013! I don’t think the majority of us at Spoonflower had actually ever properly quilted anything in our lives, and yet we were all faced with the challenge to work with a team to both design and sew a finished quilt using Spoonflower fabric. So we set to work and my team ended up taking third place with our Ryan Gosling Pixel quilt! Not bad for some quilting newbies! You can read all about the experience here and even buy the quilt top / back if you feel so inclined (still waiting for Ryan Gosling to come pick up his yardage).

2. Halloween 2013 Costume Contest Champions: Crafting Zombies

My first year at Spoonflower, I was told the company takes Halloween very seriously and so I knew I had to step up my game! Together with a couple of my Customer Service cohorts we pulled together some truly terrifying zombie crafter costumes — death by horrible crafting accidents! Complete with zipper face, pins coming out our faces and heads, we ended up winning the Halloween costume contest that year, which completely made up for the hours spent gluing a zipper to my face and undoubtedly scarring a few people for life. [Read more…] about My Journey With Spoonflower

Announcing the Winners of the Paper Cut Florals Design Challenge

April 13, 2017

Cut Flowers – Floral Collage design by Heather Dutton is the winner of this week’s Design Challenge

The flowers must have been in full bloom this week for designer Heather Dutton, who took first place with her colorful paper-cut floral design! While we’d love to send her a bouquet of fresh flowers, Heather will be receiving the grand-prize of $200 in Spoonflower credit. The 2nd place winner, Rocsanne Putri will receive $100 in Spoondollars. The 3rd place winner, Jody Mcmullen will receive $50 in Spoondollars. The rest of the top 10 winners will receive $20 in Spoonflower credit. See all the top 10 winners.

1. 266 votes for Cut Flowers – Floral Collage by heatherdutton
2. 251 votes for Spoonflower_PaperCut_RocsannePutri by rocsanne_putri
3. 240 votes for Paper Florals by jody_mcmullen
4. 238 votes for Paper Meadow by mariaspeyer
5. 222 votes for Purple Paper Anemone Collage by micklyn
6. 220 votes for cutflower_poppy by torysevas
7. 217 votes for Spring Paper-Cut Bouquet by cherishedminky
8. 216 votes for paper florals by marta_strausa
9. 201 votes for Matisse’s Garden by gracedesign
10. 198 votes for ranunculas by wingmade
[Read more…] about Announcing the Winners of the Paper Cut Florals Design Challenge

Announcing May’s Design Challenge Themes

April 12, 2017

We are so excited to announce this month’s Challenges sponsored by Skillshare! Skillshare is an amazing e-learning platform with video classes covering a wide range of creative categories. The top winners each week will take home Spoonflower credit and a Skillshare Premium subscription to start learning everything from how to create a surface design using motifs (taught by Spoonflower community favorite SammyK) to “The Basics of Photoshop”, “Hand Lettering” and so much more! And, for the first time ever, all submissions into May’s design challenges are automatically entered to win the grand prize full of design goodies worth over $1000! Ready to get started? Then dust off your watercolors because this month’s themes are all about using this soft, painterly medium to create motifs and surface patterns. If you’re more of a digital kinda person, there are plenty of great watercolor Photoshop brush packs out there to give you a similar effect that are a lot of fun to play with. We can’t wait to see what you create!

New to watercolor and need some help getting started? Check out our post from renowned Spoonflower watercolor designer, Emily Sanford to help guide you!

Whimsical Watercolor: Fantasy Creatures | Results Announced May 4

We couldn’t decide which mythical fantasy creature we loved best — fairies, mermaids, yetis, dragons, unicorns — they all capture our hearts and our imaginations. Use watercolors (or digital watercolor brushes) to create a whimsical surface patterns inspired by fantasy creature motifs. Entries will be previewed at the fat quarter size: 21″ x 18.” Submissions close April 25, 2017 at 3 p.m. Eastern. Voting begins April 27, 2017. See official rules.

Whimsical Watercolor: Abstract | Results Announced May 11

Big bold brushstrokes, paint drips, and gestural, broad swaths of color and shapes. The best abstract designs can change your mood and lift your spirits — and they just happen to be some of our favorite designs for garment sewing and wall art alike. Whip out the watercolors and give us your take on an abstract surface design! Entries will be previewed at the fat quarter size: 21″ x 18.” Submissions close May 2, 2017 at 3 p.m. Eastern. Voting begins May 11, 2017. See official rules.

Whimsical Watercolor: Fruit | Results Announced May 18

Sometimes we like to get our recommended 2 to 3 services of fruit in the form of a surface design. Nothing says spring and summer fun like a whimsical watercolor fruit pattern! Entries will be previewed at the fat quarter size: 21″ x 18.” Submissions close May 9, 2017 at 3 p.m. Eastern. Voting begins May 11, 2017. See official rules.

Whimsical Watercolor: Insects | Results Announced May 25

Creepy, crawly, and in some cases — surprisingly beautiful. Get inspired by your favorite backyard bugs (…or at least maybe just the ones that don’t totally freak you out!) and create a watercolor design worthy of collecting and saving forever in a shadow box! Entries will be previewed at the fat quarter size: 21″ x 18.” Submissions close May 16, 2017 at 3 p.m. Eastern. Voting begins May 18, 2017. See official rules.

Whimsical Watercolor: Cityscapes | Results Announced June 1

We were so inspired by our friend SammyK’s Skillshare class about creating motifs inspired by your city, that we knew we had to turn this theme over to our community! “Throw down for your home town” and create a watercolor design inspired by your locale or one of your favorite cities. Entries will be previewed at the fat quarter size: 21″ x 18.” Submissions close May 23, 2017 at 3 p.m. Eastern. Voting begins May 25, 2017. See official rules.

First Place

The 1st place winner will receive a 1-year Skillshare Premium subscription (valued at $96) and $200 in Spoonflower credit. Winner will also receive additional exposure in our email newsletters, professional photography of their printed designs, and social media mentions, the extent of which shall be in Spoonflower’s sole discretion.

Second Place

The 2nd place winner will receive a 6-month Skillshare Premium subscription (valued at $72) and $100 in Spoonflower credit.

Third Place

The 3rd place winner will receive a 6-month Skillshare Premium subscription (valued at $72) and $50 in Spoonflower credit.

The rest of the top 10

4th through 10th place winners will receive a $20 Spoondollar credit.

All of the top 25

Each of the top 25 entries, determined as set forth above, not receiving one of the foregoing prizes will be automatically proofed and made available for sale in the Spoonflower Marketplace (approximately a $5 value) (the “Runner Up Prize”) if Winners are verified sellers.

Randomly Selected Giveaway:

All design challenge entries submitted during the Skillshare partner design challenges (04/12/17 – 05/23/17) will be entered into a drawing; one lucky contest entrant will be randomly selected by Spoonflower for the Grand Prize on Tuesday, May 30, 2017. The grand prize winner will receive a 1-year Spoonflower PRO membership (valued at $249), a 1-year Skillshare Premium subscription (valued at $96), one Wacom Intuos Pro Pen and Touch Small Tablet (valued at $218) and a 1-year Adobe Illustrator Creative Cloud subscription (valued at $240). The grand prize winner will be announced Thursday, June 1, 2017.

Good luck, designers! We can’t wait to see what you come up with! See the current top 10 winners.

DIY Paper Roses | How to Make the Dreamiest Paper Floral Arrangements

April 11, 2017

If you’re anything like me, gardening is not your forte. But that doesn’t stop you from enjoying florals and adding botanical elements to your home. I was thrilled when Sarah Louise, maker and artist based in the UK, shared her idea for creating giant paper roses using our Smooth wallpaper. These DIY roses are the perfect way to bring flowers into your life without the challenge of keeping them alive. Keep reading for the full how-to for creating some for yourself!

Meet the Maker: Tina Dixon Spence

April 10, 2017

design by andrea_lauren, mrshervi, pencilmein, ormolu; products by buddhababe

Our latest maker, Tina Dixon Spence, noticed a lack of options for cool, functional clothing when shopping for her baby boy. In 2014 Tina turned that market void into a thriving business through her online store Buddha Babe, featuring handmade goods for babies, toddlers and the home that are “firmly rooted in a sense of style.” Meet Tina and see her cutie cute products below!

My day starts with:

“Monday through Friday, I work a full time job as an executive assistant. So my day begins like any other working mom’s: struggling to get a toddler out of bed, dressed and fed before dropping off to school and rushing to the office! Lately I have been allowing myself 30 minutes of meditation before beginning the morning routine (ahem, struggle) and that has helped center me immensely!” [Read more…] about Meet the Maker: Tina Dixon Spence

From Pattern to Palette : A Peek Inside our Tastiest Collaboration!

April 7, 2017

At Spoonflower, we’re all about collaboration. Whether we’re working with our talented community of Marketplace designers to create whimsical projects like the chocolate milk tent or partnering with companies like Bucketfeet for weekly design challenges, the thought of bouncing around ideas with other creatives fills us with excitement! So, when we were contacted by Snap Pea Catering, a local catering company that focuses on wildly creative concept dinners in surprising locations, we knew this would be the tastiest collaboration to date. Although, we must admit, at first we were left scratching our heads as to how executive chef and owner, Jacob Boehm, would transform the Spoonflower HQ, a fully functioning factory, into a pop-up restaurant for three nights in March…

The 10 course menu, inspired by popular Marketplace designs, was printed on Lightweight Cotton Twill!

50 guests dined outside the Spoonflower print room

The Spoonflower factory gets a restaurant makeover for one weekend in March!

Announcing the Opposites Attract Employee Design Challenge Winners

April 6, 2017

Lines Meet Curves by Alexis P is this week’s winner!

This week, the roles were reversed and Spoonflower staffers put on our design hats and competed in our Annual Employee Design Challenge! Our hats are off to Alexis P, Spoonflower’s own Senior Graphic Designer who scored first place with her geometrically contradictory design: Lines Meet Curves. Brava, Alexis! Alexis will be crowned with a Near & Dear Unicorn Wall Mount covered in her winning design and a $50 Etsy gift card. Congrats are also in order for Sprout Patterns Creative Director Caroline and her Sea and Sky design which earned her 2nd place and $100 in Spoondollars! The 3rd place goes to Social Media Manager Theresa, who will receive $50 in Spoondollars for her design, Inhale // Exhale. The remaining top 15 popularly voted designs will receive local North Carolina treats and designs will be automatically made available for sale (provided the designers are already verified sellers) in the Marketplace where they will receive 10% commission on every sale — no $5.00 swatch required! Check out the winner’s circle.

1. 404 votes for Lines Meet Curves by alexispdesigns
2. 374 votes for Sea and Sky Opposites Attract by brainsarepretty
3. 352 votes for inhale // exhale by trizzuto
4. 318 votes for Lines “Drawn to” Circles – Black & White by suz_pozzo
5. 264 votes for Night and Day Mudcloth by joe_w
6. 220 votes for Opposites: Venn Diagram by jennifer_spanos
7. 204 votes for Opposites Attract by bmunson
8. 194 votes for Opposites Attract – Vanilla and Chocolate by cdmackeyfree
9. 193 votes for Element of Life – Positive and Negative by kellyw
10. 190 votes for Black and White Botanicals by atate [Read more…] about Announcing the Opposites Attract Employee Design Challenge Winners

Raglan T-shirt Refashion: DIY Raglan tee [VIDEO]

April 5, 2017

Our favorite DIY projects transform plain, tired garments into one of a kind works of art (inexpensively!) by adding a pop of colorful pattern. This raglan t-shirt refashion is exactly that type of project. We love raglan tees–they bridge the seasonal gap between summer and fall seamlessly, giving you more coverage and a classic, Americana look. Since we’re using a regular old cotton crewneck t-shirt (bonus points for thrifting it), this project is fast AND inexpensive. Click here to jump down to the video. Let’s get started!

Here are the materials you’ll need:

Crewneck t-shirt
One yard of a stretchy knit fabric (Modern Jersey, Cotton Spandex Jersey, or Organic Cotton Knit are great choices – choose a fabric similar in weight to your t-shirt). We’re using Crazy about Hats by Mariskadesign in Modern Jersey.
A raglan t-shirt pattern (We’re using the pattern from It’s Always Autumn–It’s free and comes with different sleeve lengths!)
Sewing machine w/ a zigzag stitch or a serger