Hi there crafty peeps. ♥
A week or two ago I shared a post about a present I made for my nephew Joshua – A Big Brother Toolkit. As part of the toolkit I included a T-shirt which had a logo and the text “Big Brother”. It took a little experimenting, but I found a great way of adding text to T-shirts whilst still achieving a clean, professional finish. And, its so very easy! So I wanted to share it with you!
First gather the supplies: A t-shirt, a piece of cardboard, alphabet stickers, non-stick craft sheet, masking tape, sponge applicator, fabric paint, circle craft punch, double sided sticky tape, ruler, tweezers, fabric marker (Black), brayer (optional).
Put the cardboard inside the T-shirt to prevent the paint from bleeding through to the back. This will also give a nice study working surface.
Figure out where you would like the text, and stick down a strip of masking tape just under where you wish the text to be. Use a ruler to ensure that it is level. Using tweezers, stick down the alphabet stickers where you wish them to be, then continue using masking tape to create a frame around the stickers. To make sure the stickers are adhered completely, use a brayer or leave heavy books on top for a few hours. [I’ve used alphabet stickers from Paper Trunk]
Now that we’ve added the masking tape and stickers, the mask is in place, so we just need to prepare the paint. Squirt a little fabric paint unto a craft sheet like this one from ranger. Alternatively you can use a normal ceramic plate or alternative slick surface. To apply the paint I used a foam brush, so tap this into the paint to get an even cover of paint onto the foam. [i’ve used tulip slick fabric paint, it’s inexpensive and works great]
Apply this carefully to the t-shirt over the letters, and ensuring that you stay within the masking tape frame.
Once you have applied all the paint within the frame, its time to add the chickies. Take a piece of lightweight cardstock and cover with double-sided tape. Next punch two circles into the card using craft punches (Careful- most punches are only intended for paper, so make sure not to break your punches). Remove the backing from the sticky tape and stick the whole piece of card to the t-shirt. Secure the edges with masking tape if necessary. [I have modeled the chicks on some stamps which were in my Unity Stamps Co Kit of the Month, Feb 2010 – as I used these stamps to create packaging for the other items in the Big Brother Toolkit]
When all the paint has dried it’s time to make the magic happen! Peel off the masking tape and then use tweezers to carefully peel off the alphabet stickers to reveal the text!
Because my chickies were yellow on a white t-shirt, I wanted to add an outline so they stood out a little more. Replace the card onto the t-shirt, lining up the two circles with the punched holes. Use a black fabric marker to trace around the rim of the card to create a circular outline. [I have used a fabric marker from Dylon]
All thats left is to add a little eyes and beaks to complete the chickies, once again using the fabric marker, and the t-shirt is finished! All you need is a model to wear it! ♥
I hope you might give it a try!
leave me a comment here ♥
