Well, Clara can now add fabric designer to her growing list of talents. With her 23-month photo complete (see the full photo project), the next monthly milestone is the big 2-4—also known as age two.
After finishing a year of weekly fabric-backed photos…
…with a custom fabric we created on Spoonflower by scanning her name written in marker (then tiling it in Photoshop), we decided to make it a tradition and design a new fabric for her second birthday.
We considered repeating the name-based idea for a “she’s-two” fabric—maybe in Sherry’s handwriting instead of mine—because it felt personal. Then we realized it could be even more meaningful if the design came from someone else: Clara herself. So our latest fabric project is subtler than last year’s, but far more special—it’s based on Clara’s own scribbles.
The process was simple: let Clara draw, photograph the artwork, edit it in Photoshop, and upload the result to Spoonflower to be tiled as fabric.
We started one Easter afternoon with a large sheet of paper and a handful of markers so Clara could go to town:
We initially handed her orange and pink markers—her current favorites and the colors we plan to use for her party—but she eventually asked for a black marker as well. We wanted the drawing to be hers, so we didn’t interfere.
She was totally focused, which was great because we were committed to letting her creativity lead the way.
Even if the final pattern doesn’t immediately read as child art, Clara managed to weave in her party colors and her chosen party theme: worms. She’s obsessed with worms—she talks about them, says she dreams about them, and greets them through the window—so the theme is entirely her idea.
When the drawing was finished we wondered how it would translate to fabric. The paper was too large to scan, so I photographed it straight on and brought the image into Photoshop.
In Photoshop I placed the scribbles on a clean white background by increasing contrast and removing the background. The black marker leaned a bit navy in the photo, but the color shift worked well with the orange and pink we’d used.
To make the artwork feel more like a patterned fabric, I duplicated the layer and experimented with different tiling approaches. Rotating and layering the duplicate helped create an abstract, repeating motif.
After creating another rotated copy and aligning it beneath the first, the composition started to feel more pattern-like.
To clarify how the pieces were layered, we highlighted the original and flipped sections so the repeated structure was easier to see.
To make the pattern tile seamlessly on Spoonflower, I cropped the artwork at consistent top and bottom cut points so the repeat would align correctly.
Once cropped and cleaned up, the alternating orange circles, navy squiggles, and pink splotches began to form a charming, ikat-like repeat—subtle from a distance but clearly playful up close.
We uploaded the design to Spoonflower to preview how it would look as fabric. Their preview tools show multiple repeat styles and scale options; adding white space around the JPG creates stripe effects, for example.
After comparing options we picked the Basic Repeat because it felt balanced and not overtly childlike until you were close enough to see the original scribbles. We ordered two yards for $36 plus $3 shipping, using a discount for uploading our own design. It’s a splurge compared with our usual fabric budget, but worth it for something so personal.
Sherry plans to use the fabric for Clara’s photo backdrop and to sew keepsakes—possibly combining it with last year’s fabric. She’s already turned previous photo fabrics into a birthday banner, a quilt, and a beanbag, so we’re excited to see what she makes next.
About a week later the fabric arrived. The photos don’t capture the brightness and scale quite right—seeing it in person is bolder and more fun. It may not win design awards, but it’s one of our favorite things we’ve made.
We’ll wait until Clara is officially 24 months to use it for her milestone photo, but she couldn’t resist playing with her own creation right away. We had an impromptu session in the guest room—she loved hiding under the fabric.
She admired her work and even asked to nap under her “blanket”—though she balked at the idea of closing her eyes for a nap.
Playtime moved on to pillow forts and lots of “Clara popping out!” moments—her favorite little game.
Receiving fabric made from her own scribbles has us even more excited for Clara to turn two. It’s amazing how quickly she’s growing—one year we were making fabric for her, and now she’s creating the design herself, more or less.
Have you used Spoonflower recently or turned your child’s artwork into something tangible? We’d love to hear how you’ve preserved those little masterpieces.
Psst—Check out Clara getting her Rihanna on here on Young House Life.