Instructions to use fabric paint on a T Shirt

Slouchy slogan T-shirt

Loose slouchy tees have been around for a while now. Henry Holland brought them back. And brought them back again. And they are staying – season after season the coolest ones seem to show up in Topshop or ASOS.

Some are long, some are cropped. How hard are they to make? Not hard at all. All you need is a really big T-Shirt. A men’s or woman’s T-Shirt will do as fit is not important. The looser the better.

Ladies size 22 T-Shirt before makeover

I found an extra large ladies size 22 T-Shirt in a bargain bin at a charity shop for 50p which I have been saving to use for my slouchy T-Shirt.

Next up, you need a slogan. This is the best bit as you can make up your own words or a unique phrase. It’s also the hardest part as your text needs to be uniform. If you think getting your letters even sized and straight is going to be too hard – then rather go for a messy style – in which case it won’t matter how bad your writing is.

I chose to use Dylon glossy fabric paint which was a bad idea. The paint was thick and the nozzle small. So  . . the paint came out in big fat blobs or not at all. My attempts at writing the word LOVE in a whole lot of different languages was a flop.

I gave up trying to squeeze the paint out neatly and made a mess of the writing. Then I carried on making a mess by dropping blobs of paint all over the T-Shirt. As if messy was the intended effect.

Newspaper heart template and plastic barrier

Dylon have fabric pens which might be better suited to writing on fabric. I wish I had known.

You must place a garbage bag or some plastic between the front and back of your T-Shirt to prevent the fabric dye seeping through.

To keep the work within a heart shape on the T-Shirt I cut an outline of a heart which I pinned to the T-shirt. (See picture) I chose not to crop the T-Shirt, but keep it long. However I cut the commercial hem from the neck, sleeves and the bottom of the T-Shirt.

You could play around with an asymmetrical or curved hem. You could also cut the sleeves shorter and cut the neckline straighter making a boat neck. I’m on a roll with all the cheapie T-shirts I picked up at the charity shop. Keep an eye out for them in future posts.

For more ideas to make your own or recycle visit the Greenie Galleries by going up to the top of the page. And don’t forget you can share your DIY’s on the Greenie Dresses for Less facebook page. 

Till next week.

Greenie.