Today I got a wisdom tooth pulled, so I was home from work today! What could I do with my time? Hmmm... Do a craft, take photos along the way and make a tutorial for my blog! I was asked WAY too long ago to make a t-shirt and onesie set for two brothers. I did the onesie a while ago, I just had to do the t-shirt. I bought the t-shirt this past weekend. Today was the day to finish this!
So the first thing you need to do is gather all the supplies that you'll need.
-Freezer Paper, I found mine at the grocery store with tin foil, plastic wrap etc.
(Wax paper does not work, I tried before!!)
-Item to stencil onto. T-shirt, onesie, canvas bag etc. I got the t-shirt in a pack of 3 at Walmart. If it is an item that is washable, wash it in hot water and dry in the dryer, do not use fabric softener.
-An image that you want to stencil. If it's your first time try sometime simple first before trying something with lots of detail. Here is the link to where I found the dinosaur image. Another great link is here. -Fabric paint. I used Tulip brand
-An Iron
-Scissors, exacto knife (good for getting the small details), cutting mat (I got this one at the dollar store)
-A Pencil
-A Paint brush
Once you have all of your supplies you can get started. Cut two pieces of freezer paper for your item, one will be the stencil the other is for protect the inside of your item. Cut the pieces so they are bigger then the stencil. For small items I like to cover almost completely in case there is any splatter while you are painting.
Place one piece of freezer paper onto your image. Make sure the shiny side is down. If you are doing lettering flip the image on your computer first before you print it. You can tape the freezer paper to the image so it won't move.
Trace image.
Cut image out. I start from the middle and cut out the long 'easy' lines with big scissors.
I then use my small embroidery scissors to cut small stuff. And then I finish with...
.... an exacto knife for all the small details. Be oh so careful while using an exacto knife they are SHARP!!!
Iron your item and then flip it inside out. Or just flip it inside out and then iron it.
Iron your second piece of freezer paper to the inside of the item you are stenciling. Do not use steam and iron at the highest setting that your fabric will allow. Make sure you put it on the side that you are stenciling. Flip shirt right side out.
I forgot to take a picture for this step. Iron stencil to item make sure you have it where you want it, you will not be able to move it once it's on. NO STEAM!! When you first start ironing it put the iron straight down and then up and move to another area. Do this so you don't move the paper from where you positioned it and also to not move the smaller details. Check to make sure the freezer paper has adhered to the item. I run my finger nail over the edge (do not scratch) if any edges are not stuck re-iron it.
Now comes the time to paint!
When I paint around the edges I paint from the outside inwards, starting on the stencil then going onto the fabric. I find that this prevents 'bleeding' of the paint , if there were any areas that you did not catch that weren't stuck. Once you do the edges paint the rest of it in. Do not paint too thick, you'll be doing a second coat. If you paint too thick the paint can crack over time.
Let the first coat dry for about 10 minutes or so. I peeled potatoes while I waited. After some time has passed look at the stencil at different angles. You might notice some areas that the fabric shows through. Paint over the stencil again, making sure you get those areas that are a little sheer.
Let your item dry overnight or at least for a few hours. Tulip paint does not required for the paint to be heat set. Check your paints instructions if you need to heat set your item. This is the onesie to go with the set. It is fully dried.
Now for the unveiling!! Peel back the freezer paper to see your finished product.
All done. Now admire your work and figure out what you will stencil next!!
Lots of Love,
Meg
