Stencils!

The third crafty way I've found to design my own t-shirts is stenciling. This is, of course, not a new concept. In fact I stenciled a verse around the top of my room when I was in high school. But, I have never thought about stenciling designs onto t-shirts and other fabrics until recently. Using this method was brought to my attention by Betters Homes and Gardens magazine DIY. I’ve become mildly addicted to this magazine and they are always showing new ways to use paint. Now I just need the time to try it all!

So off I went to paruse the web again for ideas and tutorials. The first tutorial I found at http://www.curbly.com/users/chrisjob/posts/1355-print-your-own-t-shirts-using-homemade-stencils will give you a great vintage look to your stenciled t-shirt. I really like this look especially since I love old movies and vintage things!

The second tutorial I found uses freezer paper (awesome) and gives you a crisper looking graphic. There are also other links at the bottom that show more ways to do this with different designs. I also just really liked the blog celticmommy.blogspot.com !

The great thing about stenciling is that you can use more than one color while using one stencil. Which makes this a faster project and not quite as complex as screen printing. However, I have noticed that there is a different look between the two so it’s really all about what look you’re going for.

This technique would be a great idea for mass t-shirt making. Say you have a ball team or a fundraiser. You get together a group and stencil away. A LOT cheaper than ordering custom made shirts!