Fusing Plastic Bag Butterflies to Shirts

Have you ever wanted to spice up a plain tee but was never sure how without needing any previous artistic experience. Well i found out how to use plastic bags to add a design to a shirt without damaging the shirt even if you mess up on filthy wizards website .So basically al you do is melt a piece of plastic to the shirt with enough pressure till it fuses.
So to to this you'll need :

1. A plain cotton tee ( i haven't tried anything else, but i dont think fine fabrics will work.)
2. Plastics bags in assorted colors OR a bag with a design already on
3. Scissors, (the smaller the better)
4. A marker
5. Stencil ( optional if you cant draw it free hand)
6. An iron
7. Newspaper
8. A piece of parchment paper ( i used the backing of a sheet of labels)

Step 1: Cut Out the Shapes

First cut out a square from the bag you want to use and place your stencil and draw the shapes you want. Next cut them out making sure that its one whole piece .Trim the pieces to get and even shape and to make sure there are no unwanted strips or chips in the plastic.Here having a small pair of scissors is helpful

Step 2: Arranging Your Design

Place the butterflies or whatever shape you want on the shirt and adjust hem until you're satisfied with the way they look.Its best to do this on the floor so you get even pressure from the iron. So now place your newspaper on the ground next to your iron. Turn your iron on the highest setting.

Step 3: Fuse the Design

Carefully place the parchment paper on top ( or just remove the labels of of a label sheet and use the backing, paper side touching the iron) . Immediately press down with the iron and swivel it around the design slowly. Apply even pressure and lift the parchment paper to check if its fused properly after about a minute.

Step 4: Finish It Up.

Well the last step is optional. You can use a permanent marker to add details to the design. Once done let it dry for a minute and then iron again under the parchment paper.Markers like Sharpie have a small amount of platic in  their ink so it can also fuse to the plastic and fabric.If you apply enough pressure and make sure the plastic is properly fused, it should not come off in the wash. Also if you iron it just a little you can peel it off later like after a kids themed birthday party.

So enjoy making new designs on your shirts and leave me a comment or a pic .Thanks.

Comments

[cattibalistic]

would this work on denim?

[fonzuzu]

I never tried it. It's a good idea, it'll probably work if the denim isn't too thick and you'll have to experiment to get the irons heat right for it. Post a pic if you ever do it :)

[suzz353]

this is a brilliant idea! love to see ways to use everyday, or better yet, throwaway materials to make something beautiful......even better......it's easy. thanks

[fonzuzu]

thanks! it works best with multiple layers of thin plastic, so u end up using up more plastic bags. The thicker ones tend to come up at the edged after you wash them.

[jacq01uk]

what a clever idea, I can transform loads of things with this idea ;o) TYVM

[fonzuzu]

I'd love to see pics about anything you come up with.

[ChrysN]

Great idea! That looks really nice.

[fonzuzu]

Thank you :)

[embochner]

does it come off in the laundry?

[fonzuzu]

well if you do it right with plenty of pressure and make sure that there're no spaces that didn't fuse, you should be fine in the wash, but just dont iron over the design later or it will melt.

[heathbar64]

what a neat Idea! I can think of a lot of potential uses for this. I didn't know about heat setting sharpie's either.
Have you tried doing a second layer of plastic? for example a band of color with words of design on top?

[fonzuzu]

actually i did a pattern a bit more complicated and it did involve layers of plastic. I will post the ible asap.