Make These: Ink Blot Pillows

this idea

Are you familiar with the Rorschach Test? It’s the psychological exam where you look at ink blots and say what you see. Depending on how you interpret the ink, you receive a different diagnosis of your psyche. Now, I’m not a psychiatrist by any means, but I do know a DIY opportunity when I see one. Whether or not you interpret the shapes as a bear, or as the face of your mother, throw a little color in there and we’ve got ourselves a project. These ink blot pillows are easy enough for anyone to make, and each result is different!      

Watch the video to see how these ink blot pillows turned out (it’s really more fun to watch than to read about), and keep scrolling for all the details. 

Materials

• Acrylic paints
• White pillow cases
• Wax paper
• Newspaper or cardboard
• Masking tape (optional)
• An iron and a piece of printer paper

Step

If your pillowcases are wrinkled, make sure you iron them before you begin. Additionally, before you can start to apply your ink blot designs, you’ll need to protect the back of your pillowcase from paint. Insert a piece of cardboard or a few layers of newspaper inside the pillowcase. This will prevent paint from coming through the front and transferring onto the back.

Step

Take a piece of wax paper that is as large as the front of your pillowcase, and fold in half.  Open it back up again.

Step

Rather than use ink for these ink blot pillows, we’ll be using acrylic paint. Add paint to one side of the folded wax paper. You can add the paint randomly, just make sure you use a lot.

When you’re satisfied with your paint blobs, fold the waxed paper back in half.

Step

Lay your prepared pillowcase on an even surface. Optionally, tape the pillowcase in place with masking tape to prevent it from sliding.

Unfold the wax paper to reveal your ink blot design. Carefully drape the wax paper paint-side down over the pillowcase, laying it in the center. Press down firmly. Peel the wax paper off to reveal the ink blot design!.

Step

Leave your pillowcase out to dry completely. Once fully dry, you’ll need to heat-set your design. Lay a piece of printer paper over the painted area, and run a dry, hot iron over the design for 30 continuous seconds. I wanted a little extra flair on my ink blot pillows, so I made some quick tassels from yarn and sewed them to each corner of my pillowcase.

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I’ve never taken an actual Rorschach test, but according to this very unofficial and fake online version, I have a Sickness Quotient of 59%. Should I be concerned?!