Create a fantastic fabric invention

By Ella Bulley, Material Designer

Take the fabric dyeing challenge set by material designer Ella Bulley with fun activities to help you create an amazing invention!

Do try this at home, take care with sharp objects and hot water. Make sure you get adult help. Happy making!

Ella Bulley is a material designer based in London, UK, she works with all kinds of materials from sugar to glass. Ella likes using traditional craft making techniques to investigate materials, like those found in textiles and working with clay.

CHALLENGE PACK

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Activity 1

Get started

Draw or represent things that you like or that make you think about your life, family and friends

Activity 2

Creating a design

Use your drawings from activity 1 to create a design for your piece of fabric, it could be a repeating pattern or a flag or banner design. Maybe you have a message you'd like to tell the world? Or maybe you want to make something small to use at home?

Activity 3

Be an explorer!

Investigate what colourful natural things you can find in the kitchen, park or garden that might make nice colours for your fabric

Activity 4

Time for fabric fun!

Try out these simple fabric painting and dyeing methods and don't forget to ask an adult for help and check that the fabric and materials you have chosen are ok to use.

Invention sheet

Get inventing!

What amazing invention could you make, inspired by your fabric? It could be a wearable invention, something big that you could get into or something tiny for a tiny creature. We can't wait to see what you come up with. Don't forget to upload your idea below for a change to win a Little Inventors book.