We can all agree that space is pretty cool, right? I'm going to show you how you can paint space on a pair of shorts (or really any piece of black/dark fabric).

Hope you enjoy!

Note: I am going to provide instructions for only one side of the pants (but with images from both). I painted the front first, let it dry overnight, then painted the back. This way you don't have to worry about smearing or getting paint all over your work surface.

Supplies

Black shorts, pants, shirt, skirt, whatever you want to turn into magical space clothes
Note: The paint will stiffen your fabric. So, if you want to use stretchy fabric, do a few test paints on similar fabric before painting your very special garment of choice. Denim is a good choice for this since it's already pretty stiff and doesn't stretch a lot. If you try other materials, please let me know how it goes in the comments!

Paints: You can use fabric paint or acrylic paint with a textile medium. I happened to have both.

Fabric Paint
Various acrylic paints in as many colors as you want (ideally some blues, purples, reds, and silver/white)
Textile Medium
Spray glitter

Tools:

Paint brushes of various sizes
1 big bristly brush
1 small detail brush
Various other brushes
Paint sponge or old rag
Paint tray

Step 1: Get Inspired!

After you've acquired your materials, the first step is spend time staring at super cool space photos on the internet.

Search up some space/nebula images on your search engine of choice and marvel at the majesty!

While you're at it, check out this old Saturday Night Live sketch for more Space Pants inspiration.

(I leave this part of the Instructable without pictures so that you can do your own research and find some gems.)

Step 2: Prepare Your Pants and Paint

In this project, we want to make a controlled, fun mess!

Prepare the Pants!

First, make sure your garment of choice has been through the wash a few times before painting. Especially if it is a brand new item, give it a few washes, sometimes clothes are starched in stores or the color may fade in the wash so it's a good idea to know exactly what you're starting with.

To make sure the paint doesn't bleed through your garment, stick a piece of cardboard or thick paper (I used a paper bag) inside the pants.

It's also a good idea to make sure the table you are working on is paint friendly or easily washable.

Prepare the Paint!

If you are using all fabric paint, skip this step.

However, if like me, you want to use acrylic paint, I recommend mixing it with your textile medium before you start painting.

Follow the instructions on your specific bottle of textile medium! For me, the instructions say to shake the medium well then mix 1 part medium to 2 parts acrylic paint. I don't think you have to be particular precise with the ratio, but you do want to make sure it is mixed well.

Step 3: Base Colors

Time to start painting!!

Pick a few base colors for your nebulae. They should be from the middle range of the colors you want for this specific nebula to allow you to highlight with bright colors and accentuate with the darker colors.

Grab your paint sponge or a big paint brush and start splotching out your base colors.

Go crazy! But not too crazy... with these space paintings, it's good to leave some dark areas to help the color pop. You should also consider what this is going to look like when it's being worn. For pants, it's good to highlight the pocket areas and along the leg, but probably best to avoid areas where you don't really want to be drawing attention.

Step 4: Highlights!

To start adding dimension, use your lighter colors to layer over the base. Make sure to not fully cover the base color, and to continue to leave a bit of the dark coming through.

Step 5: Details

Now you get to have fun adding details. This is where your research at the beginning comes in handy.

This means adding layers of different colors and shapes. Contrasting colors,hard lines, shiny parts. While a lot of a nebula is gaseous and cloudy, there are parts that have distinct lines and odd pockets of color. Get creative with this part and remember, it's always okay to give up on using a brush and just start finger painting!

Step 6: STARS!!

Now it's time to add your stars and finish up the details.

With a small brush and white/silver/off-white paint, add in small clusters of stars around your nebulae. I enjoyed adding some stars with different tints: yellow, blue/green, and red to add variety and mimic the reality of space.

Glitter!

(If you aren't a fan of glitter because it is very terrible for the environment and gets everywhere, please feel free to skip this step. I normally avoid glitter, but found I couldn't stop myself while doing this project.)

It's a good idea to use glitter spray/fabric paint rather than gluing traditional glitter, as it is less likely to come off in the wash and pollute our beautiful marble with tiny particles of shiny plastic.

Step 7: Let Dry

This is the worst part of the project... having the patience to let your creation dry!

I painted the front of my pants first, let them dry over night, then painted the back. If you are nervous about your painting skills, maybe start with the back and then move to the front which will be more visible. Either way, it is important to let each side dry full y before flipping.

Step 8: Iron

The textile medium I used specifically said that the paint needs to be heat set after 24 hours of drying. So, once I had patiently waited a day, I covered the shorts with flat piece of cloth (to protect my iron and pants just in case there were any pockets of wet paint) and set to ironing at the highest heat setting.

Again, here you will want to follow your paint's specific instructions, but generally you want to expose the paint to heat long enough for it to set up fully.

Step 9: Get Spacey!

You now have some very cool space pants (or other garment)!

I've made a few different versions of these pants and as you can see, the way you choose to apply the paint changes how they look. So, get creative with them!

You should be able to machine wash these pants, but after a few washes they may be a bit dull. If this happens, just reapply more paint!