DIY Fabric Painted T-Shirts

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Last weekend my granddaughters were down and we got out the Tulip fabric paints, stamps, t-shirts, and shoes and had a great time. DIY painted t-shirts were the second thing we worked on, first it was the shoes. We worked on the projects down in the basement and I put a vinyl tablecloth on the table to protect it from the fabric paint spray. Note: there was a LOT of over spray.
DIY Painted T-Shirts fast and easy to do

The girls also used my fabric paint markers and stamps on the shoes. I put Painter’s Tape around the bottoms of the shoes before we started painting them. I forgot to take pictures of the shoes when they were all done, can’t believe I did that!

LuAnn Kessi has a website called Permission 2 Play where she shares all kinds of fun things. She shared Graffiti Sneakers and that is where I got the idea to do this project with my granddaughters. I meant to get a pair for myself but…..forgot.
Tulip Paints on tennis shoes DIY projectNext it was time to work on the t-shirts. I always watch for t-shirts on sale and get them all washed before the girls come over. I think from now on I am going to stick with just white t-shirts as the paints and stamps show up better on white.DIY Painted T-Shirts fast and easy to do

I was really surprised at the amount of over spray from the bottles and made sure to wipe up the paint right away. If you don’t press all the way down when spraying you seem to get blobs of paint. I think I might dilute some of the paints next time and see if that makes it easier for the girls to use.

I tapes some freezer paper to the wall to help catch some of the over spray.

Spraying white fabric paint on a blue t-shirtWe used several kinds of stamp pads – Ranger Archival Ink and StazOn.

DIY Graffiti t-shirts made with fabric paints

I’ve also been buying lots of rubber stamps lately, at least I can say they are getting used!DIY Fabric Painted T-ShirtsThe stamps really show up well on the white t-shirt.DIY Graffiti t-shirts made with fabric paintsThe girls enjoyed modeling their new shirts.

DIY Graffiti t-shirts made with fabric paintsI remember the first time using the fabric paints with the girls…….2014. My It’s All About the Kids post.

Girls painting sassy shirts

These are the same fabric paints that I used for my DIY Paint Fabric Art Mini Quilt.

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12 Comments

  1. Karen Poole says:

    I’ve done the painting shirts with my older grandsons but didn’t use sprays, can you use a normal spray bottle and add paint or do you have to buy the paint in a spray container?

  2. Cute projects!!! More ideas for my granddaughter for fall or Christmas break! Thank you!!!

  3. That’s the cutest thing ever. They look like they are really enjoying these wearable projects. Love it.

  4. Tami Chaulk says:

    That is so sweet that you get to play with your grandaughters! You are a lucky lady.

  5. So much fun Connie. The girls will just love the memories from going to Grandma’s house years from now.

    Years (and years) ago I used to paint t-shirts with a brush and paints for craft shows along with a few other things I made and my ex-husband sold his woodworking things he made. Lots of work, but fun up until the days of sitting in the booth watching too many people on the other side of the room not coming to the side we were in across from the door. ugh. I had two sizes of shirt boards that went inside the t-shirts so the paint wouldn’t transfer to the back. Not sure if the spray bottles put out enough for that to be a problem. I think they were just shirt shaped cardboard with something similar to freezer paper adhered to the top. They worked great though since they kept the shirts perfectly flat and avoided any wrinkles. I don’t know if that’s a problem for you either, but if it is, the boards were really cheap, or you can probably make your own.

  6. They look so cute and it looks like everyone had fun creating. It’s so nice for them to have the experience with you.

  7. Your grandchildren are going to have some really nice memories down the road from all the times at your house.

  8. Barb Jansz says:

    Hat great fun with your granddaughters!

  9. What great projects, they will keep these memories all their lives. And be the envy of their friends.

  10. How fun for you and for the girls! A wonderful memory maker and the pictures to prove it. Can’t wait for my grand kids to be old enough to do this.

  11. Connie your girls are so cute and they did fabulous with creating unique shoes and t-shirts. You really have all the right supplies for making fun. Embracing Creative Bliss…