Color, fresh from the can

Cultivating Life Recently on "Cultivating Life," I learned a painting technique called canning — a fun way to make stripes and plaids on fabric using textile pigments. Artist Deborah Baronas showed me how it works, using various size metal cans and PVC tubing. I was surprised at how simple the process is and yet how beautiful the results were. It's a perfect way to refurbish old canvas chairs and lounges, or just to make beautiful hand-painted fabric for pillows or tablecloths. (You can watch a video of the process on cultivatinglife.com.)

Baronas brought along a pair of old sling chairs in need of new canvas. It's easy to find chair frames similar to the ones we used on the show in antique shops and yard sales. And canvas is easy to find at any craft or fabric store. Heavy, tightly woven fabric is ideal for canning, as the fabric won't move as you pass the cans across it.

For best results you'll need a flat work surface. A large piece of Homasote covered with felt works well, as does Masonite.