Easy Faux Felt

~ This tutorial assumes you are familiar with the tools in PSP ~
It was written on May 2, 2008, using PSP 9, but it can be completed in most versions.
Tutorials are only guidelines, it's always fun to experiment with different settings on your own : )

 
I actually have a few different techniques for creating faux felt, but this one is so easy I thought I'd share it with you.
This tutorial covers making a circular button/tag.

Steps 1 through 4 guides you in creating the felt texture and is very easy to complete.
The remaining steps work with vector shapes and custom line styles which
are geared more toward the intermdiate/advanced user.

Before starting this tutorial:
Download and install the above filters - Remember to restart PSP after installing any filter.

Step 1:
Create a new file 400x400, white background.

Grab your Ellipse tool, or hit the letter ‘q’ to activate it. 
In the Tool Options Palette, set the Mode to ‘Circle’ and check ‘Create as vector’.

In the Materials Palette, set your Foreground color to null (transparent), Background color to #b64544.


Step 2:
Click on your canvas, hold down your left mouse button and drag out a small circle.

In the Tool Options Palette, set the Radius X and Radius Y to
89.50 as shown in the screenshot below:


In the Layers Palette, double click on the layer and name it ‘Shape’.

Center the shape in your canvas by going up to Objects > Align > Center in canvas.

Duplicate this layer, rename the duplicate 'Circle' and hide the layer by clicking on the 'eye' next to it.


Step 3:
Right click on the 'Shape' layer in the layers palette, select 'convert to raster layer'.
Set your Foreground color to #c76d6d, Background color should still be #b64544.

Selections > Select all - Selections > Float - Selections > Defloat.
Effects > Plugins > MuRa's Meister > Clouds.

Change the amount to 121 as shown below:

FYI:  The cloud effect changes each time you apply this filter, even when
you use the same settings.  With this in mind, clicking on 'reset' colors will
display different cloud effects, just pick one you like.

Selections > Select none.


Step 4:

Effects > 3D effects > Inner bevel.
Apply the following inner bevel:

Bevel #2, 31, 100, 7, 0, 0, white, 315, 30, 55

Adjust > Add/Remove Noise.
Check both Uniform & Monochrome, set Noise to 5%, hit ok.

Effects > Plugins > FM Tile Tools > Blend Emboss.
Leave settings at default, hit ok.

Our faux felt texture is complete!

Feeling Courageous?  Then keep going..........

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We will now create a custom line style, similar to a blanket stitch.
I cannot take credit for this line style technique, I picked it up somewhere along the way.

You may need to adapt our custom stroke if you use a different shape or a different sized circle.

In the Layers Palette, select and unhide the 'Circle' layer.
Duplicate it, name the duplicate layer 'Stitches'.
Grab your Object Select Tool or hit the letter 'o' to activate it.

On your canvas, double click on the ‘Stitches’’ circle to bring up the Vector Property Dialog box.
Uncheck the fill box.
Check the stroke box.  Set the stroke width to 2, color black.

Click on the arrow next to 'Line style' to bring up the list of available styles.
Right click on the 'Dashed' style to select it.
 Click on the custom button at the bottom right of the screen.


In the ‘First Cap’ dialog area, set your start cap to ‘square’.
Set the Cap size to a height of 8, width of 1.
(see screenshots of both of these settings below)





Down in the ‘Style’ section, use the sliders (or plug in the numbers), and change
the Dash length to 23, and the Gap Width to 1. 




Select ‘Save as new’ and give your new line style a name.  I named mine ‘blanket stitch’.

This is what my stitches looked like at this point.


Right click on this layer and select 'Convert to raster layer'.
Go down to your 'Circle' layer.
On your canvas, select the circle using the Object Selection tool.
Selections > From Vector Object.
Selections > Invert.

In the layers palette, go back to your stitches layer and hit the delete key.
(This will delete the stitches that are outside of our circle)

Selections > Select none.

Right click on the 'Circle' layer and delete it.

Apply a slight drop shadow and/or bevel to your stitches, if you like, I used a drop shadow on mine.

You can also add some faux 'stitch holes'.  Just add a new layer, drag it under your stitch layer,
then paint small dark dots under each stitch.

I hope you enjoyed trying this tutorial; I would love to see your results.
Please send them to 'admin at suntiques.com' (sorry, have to fool the spam bots, lol).