AT HOME EXPERIENCE: LINO PRINTING KIT
Looking for a way to reduce your screen time? I know I’ve definitely been spending way too much time on my phone over the last few months as there hasn’t been much else going on… I’ve always loved arts and crafts as it gives me a chance to get creative. When I came across this Creative Jungle Lino Print kit, I knew it was time for me to put my creative hat back on.
The Creative Jungle Lino Print kit contained everything I needed to create my own prints, including plenty of red and black ink so I could make about 200 prints!
The kit also included a Yorkshire tea bag for me to enjoy whilst I made my lino prints. This was a nice unexpected touch, as you could tell the company really wanted to make it a relaxing and enjoyable at home experience. To begin, I opened the instructions and skimmed over the steps. They also have a video tutorial on their site which is very helpful if you are more of a visual learner.
They also had a Pinterest page full of some simple and some more intricate design inspirations, if you were up for a challenge. I decided to draw a cute little skunk for my lino print design. First, I began sketching out my design onto the layout paper.
Next, to transfer this design onto the piece of lino I flipped the paper upside-down and placed over the lino, using the baron tool to apply pressure. This created an outline of my design onto the lino, ready for me to begin carving out.
The kit came with 3 different sized lino cutters, some for creating thinner lines and some thicker if you wanted to cut out a larger surface area. I began with the thinnest cutter, to ensure I didn’t cut too much in one go! After I got the hang of finding the best position to angle my lino cutter and which amount of pressure worked best, it was very satisfying cutting out my design. I can definitely see this being a great way to relieve stress.
After completing my design, it was time to print! I decided to opt for the black ink as it complemented my skunk design nicely. I put a small amount of ink onto the ink tray and began to use the roller to evenly spread out the ink until I heard the “printer’s kiss”, which meant the ink was evenly spread and ready to use.
Firstly, I did a test print on some scrap paper, just to make sure I didn’t waste any of the nice card that came with the kit. To my delight, the print worked perfectly!
Next, I re-applied the ink to my lino design and printed onto one of the A5 cards, using the baron to apply pressure on the back of the lino to ensure the print came out nice and strong.
My print looked so cute! I will definitely be using this to make all my friends’ birthday cards this year. I still have a few more pieces of lino left, so I think next time I will experiment and create some more detailed designs to improve my lino skills.
Although this at-home experience wasn’t the most affordable at £40, I would say it’s great value for money as you get plenty of lino, paper, card and 2 full tubes of ink that will last you for 200 prints! And of course, you get to pick up a new skill, which is priceless.
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I would definitely recommend this kit if you are looking for something fun to do in your free time, or you just fancy a bit of arts and crafts. And of course, you are bound to impress whoever you choose to give your personalised prints to!
