MAKE ·Aug 24, 2014

Make Spray Paint Shirts

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“Sunday Surprise!” Come join the fun and express yourself with spray paint tees!

Above: Foot ball + calligraphy tees are made using a paper stencil | Graphic “F” uses washi tape only.

I had planned to save this post to share with you in the coming week. Our school starts tomorrow and I keep thinking that “if just one of you is looking a last summer project, I just have to share these with you.” This is a “fits-all-sizes, uni-sex, project;” a personal way to add to a kid wardrobe, play clothes and/ or PJ’s to come home to!) Click below for full tutorial. Let’s create!

Fabric Spray paint can be used indoors, is readily available in most craft stores, and is like magic — transforming ideas into cool, modern, images, quickly. Gather a group of friends to make “name tees;” or just create. Oh, I’d love to see what you do. (Please, pretty please!)The only limit is your imagination. Working with spray paints adds energy and a little of the unexpected — in a good way.

As I mentioned, above, this is a project for all ages, all styles — everyone — and, since we have a house of tweens + a teen, it’s worked well for has as an “Invitation to play.” If you have kids this age, then you know, too, that creating is still abundant but it happens differently and I’m always on the look out for an engaging, easy, idea to lure in all 3 kids (… and often, friends and neighbors…) All you need are tees, tape and fabric spray paint, to get started.

Let’s start creating!

Supplies:

Cotton Tee Shirt, Xacto Knife, double-sided tape, and/or washi tape, drawing paper, drawing pencil

To make Spray Painted Shirts:

– Start by making a sketch and a pattern on paper.

Here are two techniques we’ve used with fabric spray paint:A Washi Pattern: If you take a look at examples above, the green “F” and diamond are both made by creating a pattern with washi tape. Place the washi tape in a pattern and press well onto tee shirt. Press the tape firmly and remove promptly for the cleaned edges.

B Paper Pattern: If you take a look at the examples above, the blue cursive “f” or the football, these were first sketched and then, backed with double-sided tape. Once the entire back of the pattern has been covered, cut out the stencil. Francesca cut a paper letter and attached it to the shirt with double sided tape. Remove the paper template as soon as possible to prevent the color to bleed through the paper. A very clean edge can be created using paper stencils but, the key is in the way the double – sided tape is applied. Make sure that all edges are covered and that it is pressed onto the fabric very well. (An example of this is the blue, calligraphy “F.” An example where we wanted to experiment with edges that weren’t universally well applied is the “football tee.” We wanted this worn look and were happy with it for our image — it was a choice — but, this is important to consider as you make.

Press washi tape or pattern onto tee.

One the pattern is pressed in place firmly and attached to the tee shirt, cut away the stencil.

(If you have a very simple pattern, you may be able to cut the pattern before placing it against the tee; however, if you have thinner, delicate details, then, it is safest to first place the entire pattern down so that the adhesive tape can affix itself to the fabric and then, carefully cut away the pattern with an xacto knife.)

Before spraying, we slid a piece of cardboard into the tee so that there was no change of paint seeping into the back side, like below. We transferred the tee, on the cardboard to our work surface.

It’s time to spray.

After spraying, let the paint dry and carefully pull off the tape. Remove the tapes as soon as possible to avoid uneven edged.

The paint will need to be fixed to be able to stand washing, which means ironing a couple of minutes on the inside of the shirt, but read the requirements on the bottle for your particular color.

I mentioned last week that I’m trying to play catch up from the Spring. Well, I’m seeing that I’m playing catch up from last Fall, when Francesca and I visited Karin and Freya at Pysselbolagat, we had such a fun day of creating (and here, too) and spray painted tee shirts together. I sadly lost those photos when our puppy broke my hard drive…. but you can click over there to see some of our day. here Making tees and totes are something we’ve always really loved to do, though, and am so happy to share tees made by both our son and daughter today. Can you guess who made which? Thank you, Pysselbolaget and I’m happy to say that we’ll have the chance very soon to create together again!