Painting

• 1). Paint a freehand design directly onto a piece of burlap using a stiff-bristled brush and fabric paint. Use a stencil to paint a design if you do not feel comfortable painting freehand.
  
  
• 2). Tape the edges of the stencil to the piece of burlap to secure the design where you want it.
  
  
• 3). Dab a light coat of paint onto the stencil cutout with a sponge brush.
  
  
• 4). Layer stencil designs on top of each other, allowing the paint to dry between layers.
  
  

Dyeing

• 1). Wash the piece of burlap before dyeing it, to remove any oils that might reject the dye.
  
  
• 2). Dissolve fabric dye in a large pot of water. Follow the instructions on the dye packaging for the dilution ratio.
  
  
• 3). Place the wet burlap in the pot of water and heat to a simmer. Stir according to the instructions on the dye packaging. The longer the burlap is stirred in the dye, the darker its color will be.
  
  
• 4). Rinse the burlap thoroughly.
  
  

Embroidery

• 1). Sketch an embroidery design on the burlap with markers. Cross-stitched designs are the easiest to embroider on burlap.
  
  
• 2). Use thick embroidery thread or yarn and a needle with a rounded tip. Stitch the thread or yarn through the tiny gaps in the burlap weave. String beads onto the embroidery thread if desired.
  
  
• 3). Weave the end of the embroidery thread into the stitching on the reverse side of the burlap to finish off each section.
  
  

Pulled Threads

• 1). Create a pattern in the burlap by removing threads. Pull out threads around the edge of the burlap to create fringe.
  
  
• 2). Pull out burlap threads anywhere on the piece of fabric in either a horizontal or vertical pattern. Pull out at least three threads in a row to make a gap visible. The more threads you pull out, the more dramatic the design. Snip threads with cuticle scissors if you want to create a pattern that does not go all the way to the edge of the fabric.
  
  
• 3). Stitch embroidery thread around the pulled-out sections for additional decoration, or weave ribbons through the open spaces for a striking effect.