design inspiration

How to Mix and Match Patterns Like a Pro

September 19, 2018

Ever open a magazine (like ours!) and think, “How do they mix patterns so effortlessly?” Some people seem to have an innate talent for mixing and matching and others of us—well, let’s just say it can be an overwhelming proposition. The good news is that there are some foundational elements that make pattern mixing accessible for all of us. Keep our tips in mind, and you’ll be on your way to layering like a pro!

How to Mix and Match Patterns Like a Pro | Spoonflower Blog

Play with pattern! Shop the featured designs on Woven wallpaper swatches to recreate this playful entranceway.

Master the Art of Mix & Match with These 8 Tips

May 22, 2018

Looking through photos of Kristin Nicholas’ home, you can’t help but feel a sense of happiness wash over you. Kristin, the author of Crafting a Patterned Home: Printing, and Stitching Projects to Enliven Every Room, has captured how bold patterns, one-of-a-kind textiles and bright colors can liven up your home without overwhelming your space. Following her eight tips below, you too will soon be able to incorporate colors and designs you once thought could never make an appearance in your home.

Kristin: When I first began learning to decorate, I was a bit fearful of mixing patterns together. I had seen it done in interior design magazines, but when it came to doing it myself, I wasn’t sure I could pull it off. Then I did what I always do, I jumped in and gave it a try. And that is what you should do too. Here’s an easy way to begin: [Read more…] about Master the Art of Mix & Match with These 8 Tips

3 Design Trends You’ll Love for Spring

February 23, 2018

Working behind the scenes at Spoonflower, we get a unique peek at what trends have caught the eyes and hearts of the designer community based on what they’re uploading to the Marketplace. We’ve seen three styles grow in popularity and today we’ve rounded up a few designs to highlight their versatility. Whether you use them to kickstart your creativity for designing or as a starting point for your next DIY project, today’s picks are sure to inspire.

3 Design Trends You'll Love | Spoonflower Blog

Featured collections: Mermaids, Mint & Emerald, Mid-Century Modern

How to Create a Seamless Repeat from a Drawing

January 29, 2018

Surface pattern design is not just for the professionals! If you’ve ever browsed our Marketplace for unicorn, confetti or even motorcycle fabric, there’s a good chance you’ve been curious to know how designers have created their seamless repeats. Today we’re putting the tools into your own hands (professional, aspiring or otherwise) with a simple step-by-step tutorial that shows one way to create your very own seamless repeat design, no fancy editing software required!

Tools required:

Tape
8.5″ x 11″ piece of paper
Pens, pencils, markers or crayons
A straight edge or ruler
Craft knife or scissors
Optional: Cutting surface
Access to a scanner

Step 1: Create your drawing. The key is not to let any of your artwork go off the page—keep it contained!

How To Make Personalized Gift Wrap

October 27, 2015

There are some occasions where even the perfect gift just doesn’t seem quite personal enough. With the easy-to-use, free design program, Picmonkey, you don’t have to be a graphic designer to make beautiful, customized gift wrap that your loved ones will know you created just for them. Today, Spoonflower team member Theresa is here just in time for gift-giving season to show you just how easy designing your own gift wrap can be!

Theresa: Recently my little cousin got engaged, and while I was happy to pick up a gift she needed from her wedding registry, it just didn’t feel quite personalized enough for something as special as my baby cousin’s wedding! So I took to one of my favorite open-source design tools, Picmonkey, and designed the perfect gift paper using her engagement photos and the theme of their fall wedding for inspiration.

Damask Inspiration

January 1, 2015

This holiday season, add a little hand-crafted goodness to your gifts by creating a cute and cozy felt gift bow to add to the top of your perfectly wrapped presents. – See more at: http://blog.spoonflower.com/page/2/#sthash.PCnnlysr.d

Looking around for design inspiration? Don’t just look to flora and fauna. Inspriation can be found in many places—even the human body!

Anatomical kidney model / Kidney Damask Magenta by Chantal Pare