Hand Painted T-Shirts
by Teresa Van Liew

Your kids can paint their very own T-shirts any time of the year, and it’s so much easier and less expensive than you may think. You can adapt this plan to paint jeans, sweatshirts, aprons, nightshirts, pillow cases, towels… anything! 

This idea is fabulous for personal homemade Christmas Gifts.  Get ready to have some fun…

Supplies needed:

§ Pre-washed cotton shirt (or your own creative item!)

§ Smooth cardboard that will fit inside the flat shirt (cut open a cereal box!)

§ Aluminum foil to cover the cardboard

§ Masking tape

§ Acrylic paints

§ Fabric medium (located in craft stores, next to the acrylic paints) 

§ Foam picnic plates

§ Brushes/sponges

Preparation:

Wrap your cardboard in the foil, and secure the back with masking tape.

Slip the foil-board into the shirt. Fit the area of the shirt that you plan to paint smoothly and somewhat tightly (don’t pull too tight) over the board. Gather and fold the extra shirt material (the part you do not plan to paint) around the back and secure it place with masking tape. This should be tight enough to paint on without the fabric wrinkling and bunching up on you, but not so tight that you distress the shape of the fabric. 

Mixing:

Pour equal amounts of acrylic paint and fabric medium onto the plate and mix. Repeat process with each color desired on separate plate. You may wish to add a few drops of water at a time until you reach a smooth mixture. You can alter the depths of colors by adding more water if desired, almost making for a watercolor effect.

What to paint?

Your choices are limited only by your imagination! Consider these ideas: 

§ Tape an uncolored coloring book page or drawing to your foil board before slipping it inside your fabric. (This only works with the very thin fabrics that you can see through) Outline/trace with a writing tube of black fabric paint. Allow to dry, and then fill in with color. 

§ Iron on a ready to use transfer that you then paint. 

§ Tape a stencil onto the fabric, and lightly sponge your paint on. 

§ Dip your hands and feet in paint to make fun handprints and footprints! 

§ Faux tie-dye: Loosely scrunch up a big wad of kitchen plastic wrap. Lightly dip into paint color. Dab excess off onto paper towel. Apply to shirt. Repeat with other colors and a fresh scrunch of plastic wrap.

§ My favorite is freehand! Turn the kids loose with brushes, sponges and a few colors at a time. Supply them with fabric markers, tube fabric paints, and fabric glitter paint. Avoid looking over their shoulders while they freehand. Allow for creativity to bloom, and remember, sometimes mistakes make the most wonderful art! Supervision is suggested, as is thoroughly covering all work surfaces. Be sure to instruct the kids on washing the brushes and sponges before color changes to avoid making mud colors. 

Tips:

Paint does not wash out of fabric. Wear a smock or apron. 

Allow to dry for 24 hours before removing foil-board. 

Wash garments turned inside-out and dry on low or gentle.

Let the kids pick their favorite colors of paint. This makes the project “their own”.

Buy a shirt in your size, and you’ll also end up with a work of art to wear! And don’t forget Grandma and Grandpa, too!