Introduction: Paint Shirts Like a Pro! (on a Budget)

Not super professional, but it looks great once you get the hang of it.

Simple supplies and a pretty easy project with end results of people asking you where you bought that shirt and you can proudly say you made it!

Step 1: Supplies

  • T-shirt ( lighter shirts look best when painted)
  • Freezer paper (with plastic coating)
  • Paintbrushes (I find the flat tipped ones paint best)
  • Xacto knife
  • Pencil
  • Iron
  • Acrylic paint (any acrylic paint should work)
  • Textile medium

Step 2:

  • Cut two pieces of freezer paper the same size

one will be put inside the shirt and ironed into place

  • place the second piece on top of your shirt and sketch your design
  • Next on a flat surface properly draw your design and cut it with your xacto knife, try not to cut it to much or your pieces may get misplaced.

Flip the shirt inside out and iron the plain piece to the desired area

Flip it back and iron the cut piece in place. Peel away the cut design you want to paint first, adding extra paper where needed.

Step 3: Painting

Mix the paint and textile medium according to the instructions on the medium ( in my experience ,however, i found a 50/50 mix works best)

Start by painting the areas surrounded by paper

As you paint more sections be careful not to overlap previously painted parts

Once painted tear away the rest of the freezer paper only from the front

Step 4: Finishing Up...

Let the paint dry for a bit then prepare a hot dry iron and place a piece of cloth over the shirt

Evenly iron the painted piece for 20 seconds

Once done ironing, remove the inside paper.

Lastly, hang the shirt to dry completely

Do not wash the shirt for a week once painted, as to not disturb the paint.

You can paint designs as simple or as complex as you want depending on your skill level

Step 5: Warnings

The backing is very important or else the paint will bleed and get on the other side

Be cautious with darker shirts, you may want to keep painting to get a better colour, but if you do the paint will get to thick and crack while being worn.

Rainbow Contest

Participated in the
Rainbow Contest