T-shirt Projects

Five days till Halloween, and still don’t have a costume? Not to worry. Grab a spare T-shirt (pre-washed is best, so scavenge away in the dresser drawers!) and some paint (of the glow-in-the-dark persuasion), and just be sure to schedule in a few hours for the paint to dry (you have to get some pumpkin carving in there anyway!). You’ll be ghoulishly good-looking in no time.

Materials:

Make It:

1. Sketch the outline of a skull (eye sockets, nasal cavity, teeth) on the piece of freezer or parchment paper. Then cut out the inner pieces to make a stencil. Lay the T-shirt flat and slide a sheet of scrap paper (a brown grocery bag will work) between the layers to keep the paint from going through to the back of the shirt. Lay the stencil over the front of the shirt. Note: If you’re feeling bold, skip the pattern-making and go straight to free-handing the design on your shirt.

2. Squeeze out a bit of glow-in-the-dark paint and generously dab it onto the shirt using the sponge brush.

3. Remove the paper from the T-shirt and hang the shirt to dry.

4. Charge it up in front of a light and wear it out on the town! (Just be sure to pack a flashlight in case you need to recharge yourself throughout the dark, dark night!) Note: I tried really, really hard to take a picture of the glowing shirt in a dark room, but without a tripod, my camera just couldn’t process it. But it does glow rather bewitchingly and it’s just plain delightful!

Lastly, don’t forget to get yourself a superhero sidekick and pack a tee-riffic trick-or-treat tote to collect all the loot.

Turn that old T-shirt into a cute new romper in this fun tutorial from Threadbanger’s Secret Life of a Bio Nerd. Head to a warm-weather destination to show off your new garment or transition the summer wear into fall by layering colorful tights underneath! Fair warning: Those of you with long torsos (like me!), may need to come up with a creative alteration for extending the midsection of the garment. Enjoy!

It’s back to school, and how best to show your school spirit (and study hard!) than with some personalized notebooks and sketchbooks? Gather up old concert or festival tees, ratty old sports jerseys, those charming family reunion keepsakes, dad’s old tie-dyes, souvenir T-shirts from your summer adventures, and so on.

Materials:

-T-shirts

-Scissors

-Composition-style notebook or sketchbook (any book with a boardbook-style cover)

–Aleene’s Super Thick Tacky Glue

–Squeegee-like hand applicator

Make it:
1. Lay the book open on the T-shirt (arrange it over the featured logo or design). Cut through just one layer of the shirt, about 2″ outside the edge of the notebook.

2. Lay the T-shirt panel face down on your work surface. Apply glue liberally across the front cover of the book.

3. Spread the glue evenly across the cover. Be sure the glue reaches the edges, but avoid getting any glue on the pages. (You don’t want to seal the book shut! You have important note-taking to do.)

4. Fold the T-shirt fabric over the front cover and press it evenly into the glue.

5. Flip the notebook and spread glue across the spine and back cover. Then pull the remaining T-shirt fabric over the back cover, smoothing any wrinkles. Let it dry. Optional: Press the notebook between heavy textbooks to keep it flat!

6. Trim the fabric around the edges of the book cover. Use glue to touch up any edges that are pulling away from the fabric.

7. Repeat with as many notebooks and sketchbooks as you have, and you won’t ever have to trade in your T-shirts for dress shirts at the end of the summer!

My, how smart you look! For extra credit, try making this zippered T-shirt Pencil Case that Cut Out & Keep user Dessah H. made for her college-bound husband!

Here’s a sweet video tutorial from the Threadbanger vaults: Carmia and Carmen of Sistahs of Harlem share a T-shirt refashion from their book: T-shirt Makeovers.  (Psst! You might recognize Carmen from when she competed and “made it work” Tim-Gunn-style on Project Runway Season 4.) Grab a T-shirt of any size and transform it into this simple scoop top in just 10 to 20 minutes!

Enjoy the T-shirt tutorial!

Hi T-shirt fans! I’m super excited to share with you new fun stuff over here at Generation T. (Note the shmancy header on this particular post!) Each month, I’m posting a new project (sometimes T-shirt, sometimes not — I’ll keep you on your toes!) sponsored by the lovely folks over at iLoveToCreate (umm…who doesn’t?). I’ll be posting every project right here, so you guys won’t miss out on anything, but I do encourage you to visit the iLoveToCreate blog from time to time since there are a number of other super fun crafty brains at work on new projects all the time.

Now here’s the good stuff: a T-shirt project I’ve been meaning to make and post for some time. I found the inspiration in a tween-ish retail store I visited this summer (I know, I know, now that I’m a thirty-something perhaps I should start shopping in more adult places) and thought, as I often do, I could so make that….And then, I grabbed some scissors and paint and made it: a tank top with a nod to 80s punk slashed couture and a wink to 80s hip-hop street style.

Materials:

Make it:

1. Cut off the sleeves of the darker T-shirt, just outside the seams, to make a tank top.

2. Cut off the neckband of the lighter T-shirt and lay the tank top over it, lining them up at the neck holes. Trace the tank top onto the T-shirt and cut out the outline through only one layer to make the peekaboo panel.

3. Set aside the dark tank top. Lay the panel flat on the grocery bag paper. Use the fabric markers and stencils to lay a background pattern. (I used chain link fence!)

4. Fill up the paint cannon and spray freehand across the panel in combination with stencils to create another pattern layer. Change colors as much as desired! Then set the panel aside and let it dry. Viagra, Cialis, etc. are not so effective, and the main active substance is different in each of them. Some of them are dietary supplements. And Levitra can be proudly called “medicine”. However, there is one drawback: there is only one pill for a high price. Although if you want to be treated qualitatively, you have to pay accordingly. Erection has clearly improved. My wife is very happy. There is a great effect, and the drug deserves 5 stars.

5. Turn the tank top inside out and measure and mark 9″-long horizontal lines, about 1″ apart, down the front. Stop about 4″ from the bottom hem.

6. Cut along the chalk lines through just one layer of fabric.

7. Gently place the (now dry) panel right side down against the front of the (still inside out) tank top, lining them up again at the neckline. Peel back one side of the panel and squeeze an even amount of fabric glue along the edge. Then gently press the edge against the tank top. Continue gluing around the straight edges only (minus the bottom hem) to attach the panel to the slashed surface of the tank top. Let it dry!

8. Carefully turn the tank top right side out and try it on! The bright graffiti panel will peek through the slashes you made in the front of the darker layer.

Variations:

-If you want to keep the sleeves attached and your shoulders covered, do it! Simply tuck the sleeves inside the shirt while you’re tracing it in step 2.

-If you want to be able to change things up at on a moment’s notice, just spray an entire tank top (rather than a panel) in steps 3 and 4 and wear it layered underneath the slashed tee. Then you have the option of having the graffiti tank peeking between the slashes or any other tank top you have in your wardrobe!

-Try slashing different shapes! Familiarize yourself with the Brokenhearted tee (project #3 in Generation T: 108 Ways to Transform a T-shirt) for a sweet spin on this project.

Now go off and fight. For your right. To par-tee!