"I" is for Idaho

Ah...I'm still alive and kicking. The daily posts haven't done me in just yet.

Today we get to do the "I" project. For me, I is Idaho...because that's home. So, why not make a home based project? Let's make a fabric stencil t-shirt!



This one also started out as a Pinspiration. It comes from Allison at Freshly Completed. I more or less just adjusted it to fit my state.

I started out with a plain black t-shirt (washed and dried).

I found a clipart file of an Idaho outline and put it into Publisher where I added "home." across the middle. I printed this out on plain paper and then adhered it to some freezer paper with a tape runner.

I used an X-Acto knife to cut the outline of my state and the letters inside. At this point, I decided I wanted a heart where Boise (the capital) is located, rather than the star that was on my print out. So I just adhered a paper heart to the top of the star and cut a heart out in this area instead.

Make sure you keep all of the pieces at this stage. The negative portion and the cut out letters are actually going to be what you use, but the positive section will help you line everything up.

Align and iron the large negative section to the shirt. This is why you use the freezer paper. It sticks, but can be easily removed when you're done. Make sure to firmly press and iron all the way around to get a good seal, otherwise the fabric paint will seep under the paper and make a mess.

Place the positive section inside your outline and use it to help you line up the lettering. And yes...somehow mine got slightly off kilter so the "e" is a little lower. Unfortunately, I didn't notice it until it was too late. Learn from my mistakes, people.

Once your lettering is aligned, iron this on as well. Again, make sure your edges are firmly stuck.

Using fabric paint (available at most craft stores), apply liberally to the stencil area. I coated this puppy quite heavily. If you've done a good job ironing, plowing over the lettering with a brush (I used foam) shouldn't disturb it.

I did a total of 3 coats, allowing the paint to dry in between.

Let the paint set for a full 24 hours then peel away your freezer paper stencil. It won't come off as quickly as a band-aid, so be gentle around your edges. (If you end up with some overflow, you can gently remove the bulk of it by using the tip of your X-Acto knife. Depending on your fabric paint, any left over residue should be able to be removed with some rubbing alcohol on a Q-Tip and gentle agitation.)

Once the stencil is off, get out the iron and heat set your paint (no steam) using a pressing cloth. This will finalize the project. It will be ready to wash with cold water on gentle cycle within 72 hours.

Lastly, get out your model. If you're lucky like me, you'll have a tween boy who has no idea how to naturally smile. You'll end up with about 50 pictures of awkwardness that you have to whittle down to a couple where he doesn't look like a complete spaz.

And you'll be happy that you got that lucky.

Unluckily for him, this shirt is too big for him. So...it's mine for now. Bummer dude...maybe if you work on your smiling I'll make you one of your own.

Thanks to all of you stopping by from A-to-Z Challenge! I love new readers. Make sure to leave me a comment below so that I can return the favor by visiting you.