How to Make a T-shirt Without an Expensive Kit

These step by step instructions show you how to make your own t-shirt 

Step 1: Gather Materials

You will need a :
- blank shirt
- a poster board
- your printed design on a piece of cardstock
- a clothes iron
- x-acto knife
- tape
- tack spray
- spray paint
- cutting mat or stack of paper

Step 2: Cut Out Stencil

Using your x-acto knife, carefully cut out your design. Be sure to mark and save pieces such as the inner pieces of closed letters such as o's, e's, d's, and a's. 

Step 3: Put T-shirt on Poster Board

Put your poster board inside of your t-shirt to stretch it out and create a flat surface to apply your stencil. 

Step 4: Apply Stencil to T-shirt

Lightly spray the back of your stencil with tack spray and let it sit for a few minutes until tacky. Apply stencil to desired part of t-shirt and mask off the rest of t-shirt with other paper and masking tape. 

Step 5: Spray the T-shirt

Using your spray paint, apply several light coats until you reach desired paint coverage. Let it dry for a few hours and then remove stencil and masking. 

Step 6: Heat Set

Using your clothes iron and a cloth between the iron and the t-shirt, heat set the shirt by resting the iron (set at the level which corresponds to the fabric of your t-shirt) on each part of the newly painted shirt for 3 minutes until you covered all parts where paint was applied. Doing this will prevent the paint from washing off. 

NOTE: Using a cloth between the clothes iron and the t-shirt is critical - not doing so will result in melting the paint off the shirt and onto the iron. 

Step 7: Let It Cool Off and Wear

After heat setting the shirt, let it cool off for 15-20 minutes and then wear your cool new shirt!