I can't wait to get my hands on a silk screen set up. in the meantime, I went with a home ec version. I likee!

Have you ever thought of the perfect T-shirt phrase? What are you waiting for? Put it on a shirt, already! You can do it by going to a local print shop (expensive), embroidering it (time consuming) or silk-screening it yourself (messy). Actually, the latter is an emerging trend in crafting. People are either buying kits or creating homemade versions to design fabric, greeting cards, shirts, canvas art and more.

If you want the look of silk screening without the hassle or cost, start with this simple solution.

Supplies:
1 T-shirt
Sheet of regular paper (for use in the computer)
Large piece of cardboard
Craft knife and mat board
Double stick tape
Sponge brush
Fabric paint
Blue painter's tape





Directions: Wash and dry the shirt. Type your phrase using a word processing program on the computer. Enlarge the font size to at least 100 point or larger as desired. Until you get the hang of this process, stick with a simple thick font, as opposed to a detailed or cursive one. Print. Working on the mat board, carefully cut out the letters with the craft knife to create the stencil. For letters with holes (a, e, g, etc.), cut the centerpiece and set aside for later use. Insert the cardboard inside the shirt, so the paint will not seep through. Place the stencil where you want the phrase to be on the shirt, and then secure the edges with the blue painter's tape. Cut a snippet of double stick tape to secure the floating pieces inside the letters that have holes. Dip the dry sponge brush into the paint and dab it on a separate piece of paper to remove any excess (if there is too much paint on the brush, it will seep under the stencil). Lightly pounce the brush up and down in the open areas of the stencil. Let dry and then repeat the process until it reaches the shade you like. Let dry. then peel off the tape and paper, and remove the cardboard.

Tips and variations: Only use fabric or textile paint so your design will be soft and flexible. Turn the shirt inside out to wash and dry. Use the same method to transfer silhouette pictures, company logos, etc. Instead of words, use multiple stencils and different colors in geometric shapes or Wing Dings (small icons found on word processing font lists). Instead of painting on a shirt, you can also use etching cream and this stencil method to decorate glassware.

* By Kathy Cano Murillo, copyright 2005. Photos property and courtesy of Arizona Republic and AzCentral.com. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: multi-culti, st. patrick's day, wearable art