Wednesday, July 3, 2013

I {heart} the USA T-shirt

Happy Wednesday!  I am the featured Paper Crafting World (PCW) Designer at MyPaperCrafting.com today and I'm sharing a patriotic t-shirt I made for my 9 year old daughter.  The cutting file is called "I Heart the USA" and it is currently on sale at PaperCraftingWorld.com for 75 cents!  I love Melin's files -- they are so easy to work with and they always cut so cleanly.


This shirt was so quick and easy -- you could make one today and be wearing it tomorrow.  I used the "freezer paper" technique to create this shirt (instructions below):


The short version of how to make these shirts is:
  1. Go to the grocery, buy a roll of freezer paper. (Contact paper works well, too.)
  2. Cut said freezer paper to fit your cutting mat.
  3. Place freezer paper matte side down on your mat. (The shiny side really doesn't stick well, so if you're doing text you need to reverse it to have it cut properly.)
  4. Choose your design and cut it out using a low to medium pressure.
  5. Iron the freezer paper, shiny-side down, onto your t-shirt.
  6. Iron a second solid piece of freezer paper to the inside of your shirt. (This keeps the paint from bleeding through to the back side of your shirt.)
  7. Paint design with fabric paints.
  8. LET IT DRY! (Don't be tempted to peel it up before it has completely dried. It peels up the edges of your design.)
  9. Carefully peel off the freezer paper from the inner and outer surfaces of the shirt.
  10. Viola! You have a work of art that looks like it was screen-printed!
The shirts created with this method honestly look like they were screen-printed. The only drawback that we have discovered thus far is this . . . they do not like the dryer. You must wash them inside out and hang them to dry or the painted image will begin to crack.  Here's another tip:   Do not use softener or dryer sheets when you pre-wash your shirt.  The paint has a tendency to peel.

I use Tulip brand "Soft" paints and an inexpensive foam brush for large areas and artist's paint brushes for smaller areas and detailing.  The sleeves were folded over twice and tacked in place with thread.  I heat sealed the ends of some striped ribbon and tacked it down with a shiny blue star button.  My daughter loves her new t-shirt!


Thanks so much for stopping by.  We're changing things up this summer -- so make sure you stop by each and every day to see new projects and check in on Fridays for a freebie!  It's going to be a sizzlin' summer at MyPaperCrafting.com!

~ Jen

 P.S.  I'm linking up my t-shirt at the following blog challenges:

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12 comments:

  1. Marie97July 3, 2013 at 10:54 AM

    T-shirt painting to a whole new level! This turned out great. Cute design. TFS from BIF

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  2. Sandy PalmerJuly 3, 2013 at 2:03 PM

    This is pretty neat Jen! You did a wonderful job on it! :)
    Hugs,
    Sandy.

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  3. Lynden BlossomJuly 3, 2013 at 5:24 PM

    Great project, Jen! I [heart] that Cut File! Interesting technique... Will have to try it sometime. ;-}
    Lynden

    http://aneleganttouch-lynden.blogspot.com
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/An-Elegant-Touch-/162889457132788
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lyndens-Cookie-Lee-Jewelry/209062415911124
    http://pinterest.com/lyndenelise/my-digital-photo-restorations

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  4. CharlotteJuly 4, 2013 at 12:48 AM

    Oh Jen, You are so good! Love this shirt.
    Charlotte

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  5. AnonymousJuly 4, 2013 at 4:06 AM

    Brilliant, love it...thanks for joining us at Cupcake!
    Helen x

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  6. Jessi FoganJuly 4, 2013 at 4:20 AM

    So very cool! I especially love the ribbon/button detail on the sleeve! Thanks so much for coming to play with us at Shopping our Stash this week :)

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  7. lauren bergoldJuly 5, 2013 at 1:44 PM

    What a fabulous Fourth of July Shirt! So bright & beautiful! Thanks for Shopping Your (patriotic!) Stash with us this week! :)

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  8. Bonnie IrvineJuly 6, 2013 at 11:15 AM

    This is such a cool idea. No wonder your daughter loved it. The little ribbon tab on the sleeve is super cute. Thanks for joining us for our Red, White & Blue challenge at Craft Your Passion this week. I look forward to seeing you again soon.

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  9. AnonymousJuly 7, 2013 at 4:58 PM

    Oh my what a wonderful project and technique.It turned out beautifully.Just love the ribbon detail on the sleeve.Thanks for joining us at Craft Your Passion.Hope to see you again next week :D
    Lisa x

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  10. Sheri GilsonJuly 7, 2013 at 11:15 PM

    Great patriotic project! Thanks so much for playing along with The Pink Elephant!

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  11. Maarit at Violets CornerJuly 8, 2013 at 7:07 AM

    Absolutely gorgeous patriotic make Jen, thank you for sharing with Cupcake Craft Challenges.

    Love
    Maarit

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  12. CazzaJuly 14, 2013 at 4:50 PM

    What a great t-shirt! Thanks for playing along with us this week over at Cupcake Craft Challenges :o)
    Hugs,
    Cazza
    x

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