How To Make a Block Print Card for Mother's Day
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Time to read 3 min
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Time to read 3 min
Artisans in India who block print and have for generations make this art look easy. It’s not. It’s a multi-step process that includes mixing natural dyes, sketching designs, then carving these intricate patterns into thick wood blocks, a separate block for each color in the design. This is all before the textile is woven, often by hand, washed, sun-dried, then prepped for printing. Which is done by the steadiest of hands, repeating the pattern over swaths of cloth draped over long tables. It’s an ancient technique carried on by artisans who handcraft these stunning one-of-a-kind pieces. When you hold one, you can feel the richness of its story and how it was made. Read more about block printing and the history of this beautiful handcraft.>
Inspired by these artisans and just in time for Mother’s Day, many of our stores are hosting special block printing events, May 12 and 13. The team will teach crafters about this 2,000-year-old handcraft and help you create beautiful, handmade cards. Be sure to check with local participating stores for details and stop by if you can! If you don’t have a Ten Thousand Villages store near you, here’s how you can do this at home.
Amy Rosentrater at the Ten Thousand Villages store in Mechanicsburg, PA, shows us how:
Try this first on a scrap piece of paper. The first print almost never comes out very well and is part of “priming” the block. Once you are comfortable, repeat these steps to print on your finished piece:
If you don’t live near a Ten Thousand Villages store or can’t find a wood block print, you can try to create a “block print” using recycled material or carve a potato block print. It’s a riff on the original and will not produce the crisp beautiful designs of a vintage wood block print, but it was fun to do with my kids! The Met has a great online tutorial too. When you’re done creating your one-of-a-kind card, be sure to check out our Mother’s Day Gift Guides.
Check with your local store to see if they’re participating in this heritage-inspired craft activity! If you post your cards on IG, tag #tenthousandvillages—we’d LOVE to see your creations.