T-shirt Projects

I Love to Create: Iron-on Sparkle Stencil T-shirts

I missed posting an iLoveToCreate project last month because I got a little distracted by that rather big DIY project of my own (more projects relating to my newest muse in the coming months, but in the meantime…). I recently attended a little boy named Caleb’s 2nd birthday party and was inspired to make something — something superhero-inspired for a super little guy! And since I’m obsessed with these iron-on glitter sheets, how about some fun, sparkly T-shirts?

Oh, and also, if you happen to be attending the Craft and Hobby Association (CHA) winter conference this year, don’t forget to stop in at the iLoveToCreate Bloggers Lounge next weekend to say hello to some of your favorite craft bloggers.

In the meantime, feast your eyes on two-year-old Super Caleb!

Materials:
-Stencils and other household objects to trace
-Ballpoint pen
-Tulip Fashion Glitter Shimmer Transfer Sheets
-All-purpose scissors
-Toddler T-shirt(s)
-Pressing cloth
-Iron

Make it:

1. Select a stencil and trace the parts of it onto the desired color glitter transfer sheets. (Silver for the body of the rocket ship, purple for the star decal, blue for the stripe and the flame. Extra stars in blue!) Alternately, trace household items (like different size bowls, jars, tupperware lids, bottle caps, etc.) to create basic shapes like circles and rectangles.

2. Cut out all of the shapes and peel off the top layer of plastic before arranging the shapes on the front of the shirt.

3. Use the warm iron and pressing cloth to press on one piece of the design at a time (so that none of the pieces shift accidentally as you’re applying them). Iron on any sleeve decorations separately so you can lay that portion of the fabric flat when you’re working on it.

4. Then fold them, wrap them, and tie a ribbon in a bow…

5. …and gift them to a cute little toddler you know!

(Caleb’s mom reports that he loves wearing them, and points often to the sleeves, identifying the “stahs.”)

[ No Comments | Posted on January 24th, 2012 ]

How To: Advent Calendar T-shirt!

This project comes courtesy of my very talented and party-hopping younger sister, Ariana, who attended a very special holiday gathering this month in the Bay Area at which attendees don’t just wow with sparkly seasonal cocktail dresses — they costume it up. And not just sexy Santas and holiday carolers, but as, say, a dreidel, Nutcracker ballerinas, or the entire cast of Charlie Brown’s Christmas!

The event is called the Elf Party. It was originally started as a party among friends and has since grown into a huge fundraiser for children in need — not to mention a very popular event. Tickets sold out in just 30 minutes this year!

Needless to say, Ariana needed to dress to impress, and when we were having a crafty consult, I suggested that she be an advent calendar–a wearable variation on the “Final Countdown” pocketed calendar (project #35) from Generation T: Beyond Fashion — complete with pockets full of treats! And so she set to work…

Materials:

-Plain tunic dress or long T-shirt (in red or green for Christmas or blue or white for Hanukkah; sample is from American Apparel)
-2 to 3 sheets of craft felt (in red or dark green for Christmas or blue or white for Hanukkah)
-Fabric scissors
-Pen
-Tulip Fashion Glitter Shimmer Transfer Sheets
-All-purpose scissors
-Pressing cloth
-Iron
-Straight pins
-Treats (individually wrapped mini candy canes and other hard candies work well–depending on how long you’ll be wearing the outfit, keep in mind that body heat can melt Hanukkah gelt or other chocolates!)

Make it:

1. Measure and cut about twenty-five 3″ by 3″ squares of felt (depending on the number of pockets you’d like).

2. Trace or draw the numbers 1 through 24 (or 25), on the glitter transfer sheets. Note: Trace numbers 1 through 12 for the twelve days of Christmas, or 1 through 8 for the eight nights of Hanukkah, and so on. (Optional: If you’re going Christmas-themed, trace and cut a star to place at the top of the arrangement.)

3. Cut out the numbers and/or shapes.

4. Following the instructions on the packaging, peel the clear layer off the top of the glitter numbers and arrange them glitter side up on each felt square. Then press the numbers on the squares with a pressing cloth and a warm iron.

5. Lay the tunic flat and arrange and pin the squares onto the front. Thread the needle with contrasting or matching thread and use a running stitch or backstitch to sew around the two sides and the bottom of each square to complete each pocket.

6. Remove the pins, try on the tunic, and fill up those pockets with treats!

[ 1 Comment | Posted on December 6th, 2011 ]

Caution: Speed Bump!

We here at Generation T hope everyone had a safe, boo-tiful, and bountiful Halloween last weekend! In addition to this bonus Halloween costume project below (okay, file it away for next year), you might notice that there’s some rather “big” news to share over here at Generation T headquarters: there’s a Baby T on the way! (And since we’ve taken to calling the inside-the-belly baby “Zombie,” it seemed only fitting that we get to make the announcement in costume.)

It can be tricky to come up with costume ideas when you’ve got a bun in the oven — besides the classic “Watermelon Smuggler” (make that a pumpkin smuggler), the obvious mummy (ha!), or a bathing beauty (get ready to dress in a bikini and paint the belly in the pattern of a beach ball). Go for the more literal, and get your partner in on the costume so you can have a chef and an oven (which I have to say held some appeal until I realized that I’m already feeling a tad large and awkward these days and dressing in a box would only serve to enhance my impressive girth).

So without further ado, here’s how I made my Speed Bump Halloween Costume (and yes, I do hear they’re called “speed humps” in Connecticut, but what can you do)…

Materials:
-Plain T-shirt
-Masking tape (to make stencil)
-Scissors
-Black fabric paint
-Foam brush
-Yellow card stock or paper
-Ruler, dowel, or chopsticks (to use as sign post)
-Pencil
-Black permanent marker

1. Cut and stick the masking tape across the front of the T-shirt in the pattern of two tire tread marks. Insert scrap paper in between the layers of the T-shirt to keep the paint from bleeding through. Then lightly paint over the masking tape.

2. Cover the taped area with paint and then let it dry completely.

3. While the paint’s drying, measure and cut an approximately 7 1/2″ x 10″ rectangle from the yellow card stock (round the corners for an authentic street-sign shape). Then use the pencil and marker to draw and color in the appropriate speed limit. Set it aside.

4. Peel off the tape from the T-shirt to reveal your painted tire treads!

5. Tape the ruler, centered, along the back of the street sign.

6. Now suit up!

P.S. Good luck to all of those folks running today in the ING New York City marathon — on this inspiring occasion, here’s to avoiding any speed bumps during the run!

[ 5 Comments | Posted on November 6th, 2011 ]

10 Quick & Easy T-shirt Halloween Costumes!

Just in time for you last-minute Halloween revelers! Make a beeline for your T-shirt stash and pull together one of these costumes in mere minutes…. Last week, my friend Elan asked me to help her out with a student project for her journalism class (see Elan in action, right, who was willing to climb on top of tables to get the right shot!). Here’s a little video tutorial we came up with to show you 10 super quick-and-easy ideas for a T-shirt-based Halloween costume. Forgive the low sound, since we were working without a mic, but we hope you enjoy!

Top-10 Last Second Halloween Costumes from Elan Bird on Vimeo.

And in case you missed the visuals, below are the 10 quick-and-easy T-shirt-based Halloween Costumes (all illustrations courtesy of Megan/Generation T):

1. Charlie Brown (a good man, indeed, from our pal Charles M. Schulz–add a black pair of shorts and a baseball cap for good measure)

2. Deviled Egg (love me some wordplay! just grab those devil horns and tail I know you have packed away somewhere)

3. Candy Corn (inspired by my friend Alexa (aka The Swell Designer)’s adorable tie-dyed onesie!)

4. Shooting Star (more nerding out with words, adapted from an idea in The Halloween Handbook PS: those are squirt guns, folks!)

5. Zombie (classic: blood, brains…nuff said; and here’s the perfect soundtrack to listen to while you craft)

6. True Blood Waitress (don’t forget to add some fang marks on the neck!)

7. Chick Magnet (ha. get it?… also adapted adapted from an idea in The Halloween Handbook)

8. Static Cling (you don’t even need paint for this one!)

9. Thing 1 and Thing 2 (These Dr. Suess characters are perfect for pairs costumes!)

10. Playing Card (Ace of Spades or Queen of Hearts–or recruit enough for a full 52-card deck! Then shuffle.)

And if you have a T-shirt left over, don’t forget to make check out the tutorial for a trick-or-treat tote!

[ 1 Comment | Posted on October 28th, 2011 ]

I Love to Create: Flower Power Picture Frame!

So often these days a photo album is an online click, and a frame may simply be the outer edges of a smart phone as you flick through those saved photos. Having just returned from vacation, I was inspired to make something a little less fleeting to display my memories of beach, sand, and snorkeling. And what better material to use to celebrate summer vacation than scraps from that all-time summer favorite: the T-shirt.

Materials:
-T-shirt scraps (in various colors)
-Circular object (about 2.5″ in diameter to use as a cutting template)
-Aleene’s Fabric Fusion fabric glue
-Fabric scissors
-Blank picture frame
-Aleene’s Tacky Line Runner (double-sided adhesive dispenser)
-Printed vacation photos to fit in the blank picture frame

1. Cut a series of circles from the T-shirt scraps. (I cut about 55 circles in order to cover a 4″ x 6″ frame.) Cut them all the same color or mix it up to add vibrant highlights to the frame — I was inspired by the colors of the corals (yellow, salmon, and raspberry hued) that we snorkeled near in Vieques.

2. Select one circle, fold it in half, then fold it in half again. Cut a scalloped edge into the open (arced) edge so the piece of folded fabric becomes heart-shaped.

3. Unfold the piece of fabric (it should slightly resemble a four-leaf clover) and squeeze a small amount of fabric glue into the center. Fold it in half, with the edges slightly askew (so the petals don’t line up exactly) and pinch.

4. Then apply a small dab of glue along the folded edge and fold it in half again to create a blossom.

5. Pinch the end and separate the petals and let dry. Repeat steps 2-4 for the remaining circles then set the blossoms aside.

6. Apply the double-stick adhesive liberally to the front of the frame. Be careful not to press your fingers into it since the oils will deplete the sticky qualities!

7. One by one, press the blossoms into the adhesive on the frame, angling and overlapping them to cover the frame and create a pleasing pattern.

8. Layer the flowers over the entire frame, and don’t hesitate to cut more if you find gaps in the coverage.

9. Now for the hard part! Select a photo to place in the frame.

Variations:
-Use strips of T-shirt scraps to make into coils to decorate the frame.
-Simply cover the photo frame with T-shirt fabric and then embellish with a small cluster of blossoms.
-Use a cluster of these flower power blossoms to embellish a headband, hair tie, or brooch!

[ 1 Comment | Posted on August 23rd, 2011 ]

I Love to Create: Superhero Arm Warmers!

This T-shirt transformation project is my favorite of the accessories in my first book. They’re the Go-go Gauntlets (project #73) from Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-shirt. They’re super easy to stitch up in an afternoon, and even easier to embellish with iron-on glitter sheets–which seriously increase the superhero factor.

These arm warmers are especially good for:
1) Completing late night deadlines (reports, papers, presentations, tax filing, etc.).
2) Healing goose-bumped flesh in the over-air-conditioned spaces of warm-weather climates.
3) Protecting long-armed folks from that pesky draft caused by the gap between the glove and sleeve in cold weather climates.
4) Shielding the knuckles of bicyclists from biting winds when they ride really fast.
5) Executing superhero power stances.

Materials:
-1 or more old T-shirts (with the bottom hem intact)
-Fabric marking tool
-Ruler
-All-purpose scissors
-Fabric scissors
-Needle and thread (or sewing machine)
-Tulip Fashion Glitter Shimmer Transfer Sheets
-Pressing cloth
-Iron

1. Measure the distance around the middle of your forearm (x). Mark a rectangle x” wide and between 11″ and 14″ tall that lines up along one of the side folds of the T-shirt and extends up from the bottom hem.

2. Use the fabric scissors to cut out the rectangle through both layers.

3. Cut open the side, along the fold of the shirt.

4. Fold each rectangle, right sides in, and make two marks along each of the open edges that measure 1 1/2″ and 3 1/2″ from the hem.

5. Stitch along the open edge, about 1/4″ from edge, leaving an opening (for the thumbs!) between the two marks.

6. Turn the arm warmers right side out and orient the thumb holes about one-third from the edge.

7. Use all-purpose scissors to cut out fun shapes from the iron-on glitter sheets (in pairs, if you want your arm warmers to match).

8. Keeping the arm warmers oriented as they were in Step 6, flip them over and arrange the glitter shapes near the hem. Peel away the shiny surface layer from the shapes, lay a pressing cloth over the arm warmers (being careful not to disturb the placement of the shapes), and press firmly with the iron for about 40 seconds. Repeat if necessary to set the glitter transfer.

9. Turn off and unplug the iron. Try on your new pair of superhero arm warmers!

10. Use all the shapes you cut out in Step 7 to make more!

Optional: Use remaining T-shirt scraps to make a matching superhero mask or headband!

[ No Comments | Posted on July 26th, 2011 ]

I Love to Create: Spray 4 Ways!

As some of you know, I’ve been just a little bit obsessed with my spray paints lately. And it’s because they’re the perfect quickie spiff-up and surface embellish for T-shirts, pillows, dresses–or any other fabric item you want to spray! Since it’s spring, though, I grabbed up some plain cotton dresses to spray. Here are four different ways to pair those fabric spray paints with templates made from materials around the house including masking tape, stationery stickers, and freezer paper. Pull your spray paints from your holsters!

Once your paints are assembled, select your surfaces (in all different colors–though light colors will take the paint best).

Then introduce any number of “secret weapons from around the house” (items that can be used as templates or stencils to mask parts of the fabric, e.g. freezer paper, permanent marker, a craft knife; map dot stickers; rectangle sticker labels; masking tape) in each of the individual projects below!

1. Yellow Brick Road

Secret weapon from around the house: Rectangle sticker labels

Originally, my plan was to stick on these labels in a checkerboard pattern to give the dress the feel of a racing flag. But the stickers so easily lent themselves to being bricks, that I immediately thought of the yellow brick road in the Land of Oz.

I chose to follow the yellow brick road along the waistband, but you could lay your bricks around the hem of the dress, up and over the shoulder, or a circle them all over the dress. I laid one row of bricks and then stuck down a second row, offsetting the first brick in the second row so that the rest of the stickers in that row would be slightly staggered to create the brick pattern.

Mask the rest of the garment before spraying (I used T-shirt scraps and paper from my recycling bin) so that you can contain the paint to only the area you want to color. I used black spray paint to make the yellow bricks really pop!

Let the paint dry completely before you peel off the brick stickers and try it on!

2. Skull & Bones

Secret weapons from around the house: Freezer paper, high-contrast image printout, marker, craft knife, and cutting mat

I chose the classic skull and crossbones as my image to download and print for creating the stencil, but any image is fair game!

Trace the design onto a sheet of freezer paper.

Then use the craft knife to carefully cut out the shapes.

Tape the stencil onto the fabric surface (I placed it along the hem). Don’t forget to place any loose pieces (in this case, the eye sockets and nose cavity!). I sprayed red spray paint on the charcoal gray surface and reused the stencil to create a pattern around the bottom of the skirt.

Let each image dry slightly before moving the stencil to another part of the fabric.

Then let the image dry completely before spraying it onto the back of the garment. Let all the paint dry completely before you try it on!

3. Bubble, Bubble, Toil, and Trouble

Secret weapon from around the house: Map or garage sale dot stickers in different sizes.

These stickers have so much potential. Beyond mixing up the sizes, you can arrange them into patterns, overlap them, use the surrounding sticker bits to create reverse dots, and so on. I used three sizes (3/4″, 1 1/4″, and 1 3/4″).

To create the appearance of bubbles rising up to the surface, I started with closely spaced small dots at the hem, then transitioned to more widely spaced medium dots, with the large dots finishing below the bodice.

Mask all the parts of the garment you don’t want to color. I used black spray paint, fading out at the top, to make the pink really shine through! I also allowed the naturally occurring wrinkles caused by the gathered skirt to form “cracks” in the paint.

Let the paint dry completely before you put it on. Now that you’ve made your bubbles, go out and make some trouble!

4. Yipes Stripes!

Secret weapon from around the house: Masking or Artists tape

Stripes are just the beginning–you can create plaid, checkered, or gingham patterns with a roll of masking tape. Keep in mind that the width of the tape (and how closely you align them) determines the width of your stripes!

I followed the V-neck cut of the dress to create gently slanting diagonal stripes. Be careful to line up the tape strips carefully in order to keep your design symmetrical and even.

As always, mask the fabric you don’t want to paint! I chose blue spray paint to pair with my bright green frock–a springtime inspiration, for sure!

Let the paint dry before peeling off the tape to reveal your sassy stripes!

One, two, three, four — don’t stop now, let’s spray some more! How many more ways can you spray?

[ 19 Comments | Posted on April 26th, 2011 ]

How to: Rollover Tank Top

The Rollover tank top (project #42 in Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-shirt) is located on pages 110 and 111 and was cut and stitched from my well-worn lavender Keep Earth Alive: RECYCLE T-shirt. Congratulations to Kiki, who wins a signed copy of Generation T: Beyond Fashion for being the first of our finalists to email me all the correct info!

And congratulations to the rest of you, too! Your sweet runner-up prize is this T-shirt tutorial for that Rollover tank top.

Materials:

1 T-shirt

measuring tape

scissors

tailor’s chalk

straight pins

needle

thread

Make it:

1. Lay the T-shirt flat and cut a 8″-wide loop off the bottom of the shirt. Set it aside.

2. Measure and mark 12″ from the new bottom of the shirt. Cut horizontally across at that mark through both layers of fabric. Then snip through the side of the loop, creating a long rectangular strip.

3. Lay the strip flat and mark a length equal to your bust measurement (x) along the long edge of the rectangle. Cut vertically to remove the excess fabric.

4. Fold the rectangle in half lengthwise, right sides together. Pin along the short ends and sew the edge with a whipstitch.

5. Remove the pins. Turn the resulting 12″-high tube right side out and lay it flat. Turn the loop from step 1 inside out and center it above the 12″ tube so that its bottom (cut) edge meets the 12″ tube’s top edge.

6. From both sides of the 12″ tube, measure 2 1/2″ in and mark with the chalk. Pin the tubes together between the two marked points and sew along the pinned edge using a whipstitch. Remove the pins.

7. Flip the shirt over and repeat step 6 on the back.

8. Try on the shirt and roll the top tube over 4″ to 5″ so the right side of the fabric is facing out. Rollover is complete!

Variations:

This project is excerpted from Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-shirt (Workman 2006).

[ No Comments | Posted on April 24th, 2011 ]

How To: T-shirt Boa Scarf!

Hey there, Generation T! Are you ready to get really knotty? Today’s T-shirt tutorial comes courtesy of one of our esteemed readers: Ms. Liz Russo of Craft-Stop. It’s the “Tic Tac Boa,” project #115 in Generation T: Beyond Fashion — the boa scarf is perfect for spring, infinitely personaliz-able (pick a color, any color!), great for using up scraps (cut strips from old T-shirt sleeves) — oh, and did I mention it’s no-sew? Well, it is. Settle down in front of a good movie while you complete all the knots (you won’t notice when your fingers start to cramp) or, if it’s warm enough where you are, kick back in a park, your backyard, or poolside!

Watch the tutorial here:

Thanks again to Craft-Stop for featuring one of our projects!

[ 1 Comment | Posted on April 12th, 2011 ]

I Love to Create: A Poetic Pocket Square!

Looking ahead to April, it’s National Poetry month, and to celebrate, the Academy of American Poets is sponsoring National Poem in Your Pocket Day on April 14, 2011. Basically, you carry a poem around in your pocket, and take it out and share it throughout your day with friends, colleagues, and family. The poem can be an old classic, a modern ode, long, short, silly, or serious — Anne Sexton or Dr. Seuss, Will Shakespeare or Shel Silverstein, Emily Dickinson or e.e. cummings… And if you can’t find a poem you’d like to share, write your own! But my point is, why limit the printed word to paper (or digital smart phone)?

Perhaps I’m taking this pocket thing too literally, but I do like to play with words and type — experimenting with the way the letters themselves can create fascinating visual patterns (even before we get anywhere near discussions of assonance, alliteration, and onomatopoeia!). A pocket square (or a hanky — just pop it in your purse!) is a more permanent way to commit to that poem. And, bonus: If you forget to take the poem out of your pocket before laundry day, you won’t end up with a pocket full of disintegrated, dried paper pulp.

Materials:

-white or light-colored T-shirt

-rotary cutter, ruler, and cutting mat (or ruler, marker, and scissors)

-masking tape

-letter stencils

-fabric paint (variety of colors)

-paint tray (optional)

-sponge brushes

-needle and thread (in a color to match the T-shirt)

Make It:

1. Cut a 17″ x 17″ square (or smaller, depending on your preference) from one layer of the T-shirt. Tape the edges of the square to your painting surface with masking tape. (This will allow for a margin as well as keep the fabric straight while you’re painting it.) Choose a poem or stanza and arrange the letter stencils on the T-shirt square. And don’t forget to save room to credit your poet! Note: The paint will bleed through (as evidenced in the following photos!) — use a paint surface that you don’t mind making permanently colorful!

2. Select your paint colors. I chose to use a different color for each line of the poem to highlight the original line breaks. (P.S. Can you guess the poem, Wheel of Fortune-style, based on the letters placed above?)

3. Use the sponge brush to dab the paint over the stencil one letter at a time. Note: Some of the letters will need to be moved as you go, to ensure even spacing and to account for repeated letters.

4. Continue painting, changing colors as needed, until the square is filled and/or your stanza or poem is complete. (P.S. Yes, it’s Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky.”)

5. Remove all the letters and peel off the masking tape to release the T-shirt square. Let the paint dry completely. (Don’t forget to wash your fingers if you, like me, inadvertently gave yourself a rather colorful but clumpy-looking manicure!)

6. Thread the needle, knot the end and carefully turn the edges under twice. Use a slip stitch to sew the edges in place around the perimeter of the T-shirt square.

7. Tie off the ends, snip your threads, and look online to….

8. …learn to fold (and unfold and fold and unfold–and read–and fold again) your poetic pocket square! So, is that a poem in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?