(tutorial) glitter tees by Michelle

Not to brag or anything, but Jen and I have some pretty amazing friends.

really.

From friends that are amazing photographers, crazy crafters and seamstresses to friends that have amazing ideas to do with their kids and just amazing moms.  We'll be sharing some of them with you because we are constantly in awe of our friends and the amazing things they do.  We think you'll want to be friends with them, too!

One of our friends, who happens to be an amazing photographer, super cute mom to two girls and who also makes the most darling hair clips (not to mention a million other talents) made the cutest little shamrock tees for her girls, and we wanted her to share them with you!

Take it away, Michelle!

Hi!  I'm Michelle from Michelle Photography www.momentsbymichelle.com, I have 2 little girls who I LOVE doing little photoshoots of.  This year for St. Patrick's Day I did a little mini shoot with Maddy, Mika and their little friend Sydney and we made these sweet shamrock shirts to celebrate the holiday!

Here is how we made them...



(Old Navy has solid tshirts for kids for $4 right now!  Hurry over and get one before the sale ends!)

I recommend prewashing and drying your shirt...

Here is what you will need

T-shirt

Iron

Freezer Paper

E-6000 OR Fabric Glitter Glue (I prefer E-6000)

Fabric Glitter

Paint brush

Cardboard (for in between your shirt)

First be sure to put your cardboard piece inside your shirt so the glue doesn't soak through.

** I used the following cartridges for my stencils:

Shamrock - Paper Dolls cartridge in the Leprechauns accessories

Seahorse and Sandcastle - Create a Critter Cartridge

I used my Cricut to cut out this sandcastle shape for my shirt, but you can always print out a shape on your computer and hand cut it with a razor from your freezer paper. 

Iron your freezer paper stencil wax side down onto your tshirt to make a tight seal

Generously squeeze your glue where the glitter will go

Use your paint brush or sponge to spread the glue deep into the fabric.  If you are using a ribbed tshirt like I did be sure to get inbetween all the ribs

Generously pour your glitter over your stencil

Press down into the fabric with your finger

Tap off any excess glitter into a pan or other plate to recycle the glitter

Carefully Peel your stencil off to reveal your picture

 I added a flag to my sandcastle

Here is my Shamrock stencil done the same way.

Have some fun, I added rhinestones to these 2 shirts using Gemtac and Swarovski Crystals.  A toothpick with a little wax on the end will help you place your crystals onto your design. Be creative!

Let dry for 24 hours with Cardboard remaining inbetween your shirt

Wash inside out.

I LOVE this simple craft just for the fact that with little kids I can actually finish a shirt in 10 mins or less!  Hope you have fun!

Michelle

**Update**
we've had several comments and questions since this post, so here are a couple of FAQ's answered!
Cutting with the Cricut: Michelle said she always has her blade down at a 6, here speed is slow, but not the slowest and she played around with the pressure...but I think most helpful would be that you place the glossy side of the freezer paper DOWN, and hold the freezer paper in place as it's cutting, as it might not totally stick to the mat!
Washing: we'd recommend hand washing, or using a gentle cycle, and then hang to dry, rather than sticking it in the dryer!
Hope those help!  best of luck!

we linked this project to some of these awesome blogs!