Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Freezer Paper Stencils


Looking for a great new craft? Freezer-paper tees are super easy and look really cute (see above!). Click here for some easy-to-follow directions on how to make your own freezer-paper t-shirt.
In addition to the directions included on the link, I would add a few comments of my own:
  1. Make sure to move the brush from the stencil onto the shirt. If you paint the opposite way, there is a chance you could push paint underneath the stencil, which will mess up your design.
  2. Put at least 2 coats of paint on and (this is the hard part) make sure to let it dry completely in between layers. If you don't do multiple coats, your paint will be more likely to crack after several washings. And if you don't let it dry in between coats, your new layers won't really stick.
  3. If you are painting onto a dark fabric, make sure to get paint especially designed for this. Otherwise, your deisgn will not stand out against the fabric.
  4. Iron the design onto the shirt before wearing or washing. Even if the instructions on the paint say to only iron the inside of the shirt, iron both sides. If you don't, your paint will run in the wash, ruining your new creation and possibly your other laundry (hmmm, do I still sound annoyed about that one?). And, just as a common courtesy, if you are giving this as a gift, you should wash the shirt before painting (to prevent shrinkage and cracking the design) and wash it again after your paint is dry and set. Then, on the off-chance that something went a muck and the paint didn't set, your gift did not ruin someone else's load of laundry.
Be forewarned, this really is addicting! But, it is a great way to make gifts for new babies, birthdays or holiday gifts.

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