T-shirt Projects

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!

Tags: belly bump Halloween costume, DIY Halloween costume, T-shirt halloween

[ Posted on November 6th, 2011 ]