Stenciled T-Shirt using Freezer Paper and the Cricut

Friends, Here is a fun way to get a customized T-Shirt.  It is super simple and can save big $$$$.

I started with a T-Shirt from Walmart for $6.  That's all I spent.  The rest of the supplies I already had at home.  You need a piece of Freezer Paper.  I think that runs around $5 at Walmart for a huge roll.  I used my Cricut machine but you could use any die cutting machine or even cut your own stencil with scissors and and exacto knife.

Cut your design out with the shiny side of the freezer paper DOWN.  FYI, I used the Cricut cartridge A Child's Year for the font and cut it at 1 1/2".

Place a form or something in your shirt so the paint does not absorb through the shirt to the back side.  I have had an old T-Shirt form now for over 20 years.  It's just a piece of cardboard that is shaped like a shirt.  Do they even still make these things?

Then center it on the shirt shiny side DOWN.  I also had to make sure I got the centers of the letters and put those in place.  Iron on the freezer paper at med to high heat for just a few seconds.

Here is where I put on the paint.  What I had on hand was some glitter fabric paint.  I put it on fairly thick yet I was careful not to lift the edges of the freezer paper as I put it on.  Even though the freezer paper is ironed on, it still will remove rather easily.

 

I let the paint dry for a couple of hours.  It wasn't completely dry, but I carefully lifted and removed the freezer paper and let it now dry completely before I removed it from the form.

I think it looks pretty cool.  It sure is shiny.  Unfortunately I didn't realize until after my daughter took the photo that the form I had in the shirt kind of stretched it out a bit but it should go right back into place if I dampen it a bit.  Also, but sure to turn your garment inside out for washing.
This was a fun project and fabric paint comes in all sorts of colors including glow in the dark.  For $6 plus a little paint I think I'm going to have to make another one.
Baskets of Happiness,
Nancy

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