DIY and Printable: Fabric Painting with Words

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Tune into KSL’s Studio 5 today to watch a fun and easy project for all ages.

The ’90s are back in full swing. Remember the hand-painted tees you could buy at mall kiosks back in the day? Well we’re going to make some today. It’s the perfect project for folks of all ages (if my 6 year old can do it, so can you!) and all artistic abilities. It’s an easy project. Last week at Alt Summit I was asked to host a DIY project for conference attendees. We were able to make great tees in the spare minutes between sessions.

Alt Summit - Justin Hackworth Photography

This was literally my favorite part of the conference. Seeing everyone’s creativity come out and inhibitions diminish as they made cards and tees was such a thrill. Also, can we all collectively swoon over the live succulent Bing wall? Simply stunning. The above photo is by Justin Hackworth

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Even Felix has gotten in the game.

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Feel a little intimidated by the whole process? I’m including three templates that you can download at the end of the post. Perfect for putting underneath your tee and tracing.

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I also went abstract with this tutorial and created a little ‘x’ repeat pattern on the above tee. I plan on using the same technique on a dress sometime soon. If I ever get time to work on my sewing machine. We’re hoping time opens up soon now that obligations for Alt Summit are over.

Jazz up your tees for the next family reunion or youth activity with the tutorial below.

DIY Painted Tees

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Supplies

  • various round brushes
  • fabric paint
  • small dishes or paper cups
  • tee
  • iron
  • press cloth
  • cardboard insert

Click through for the full tutorial!

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Squirt the fabric paint into a small dish or paper cup. Dilute with enough water for a cream-like consistency. I like using an eye dropper to make sure that I don’t put too much water in the paint.

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Generously load your brush with paint and start working on your design. You may want to go over lines multiple times for a vibrant line. Press hard on the downstrokes for a thick line and touch lightly on an upstroke for a narrow line.

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Allow to dry and heat set with an iron. To save your iron from getting gummed up, use a scrap of cotton fabric or a press cloth. Enjoy!

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Rad necklaces provided by White Plum (here and here).

*This tutorial/freebie is free for personal use and should not be distributed/republished without my consent. Altering any files is NOT ALLOWED. If you would like to use this freebie for commercial purposes, please email me. Thanks!
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    1. Clara says:

      I’m not sure what happened, but the last few posts’ pictures are stretched really long, I thought you might like to know.

      • Melissa says:

        That’s strange. I wonder if it’s something with the browser. The images look fine on my end. I’ll have to look on another platform to see if there’s an issue elsewhere. Thanks for the heads up!

    2. marissa says:

      LOVE this!

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