@diy and images  CATHERINE FREDERICK

A while back my little man and I had a blast making tie-dye T-shirts from a kit we bought. It was tons of fun and not as messy as I thought. He absolutely loved removing the rubber bands to unveil his mystery design.

I wanted to find a more “grown-up” T-shirt project, something with a vintage or worn look, so naturally I perused Pinterest and found this adorable DIY. I instantly loved it. This DIY is simple, quick and the materials are inexpensive (mine was under $20 and that includes a new white shirt from TJ Maxx).

What You’ll Need:

White shirt of choice
Elmer’s School Glue GEL (I got mine at Office Depot)
Rit Dye
Outline (not filled) stencil graphic of choice  
Ziplock bag

Gloves

How To:

1. Locate and print out stencil of choice. I found several free stencils online. Just Google “free stencils."

2. Wet the area of the garment that you will be tracing with cool water, and slide something hard between the layers to separate (I used a cutting board).

3. Trace over your design with the gel glue. Pop your design in a Ziplock bag, slip it underneath the shirt & trace over it carefully with the glue. The trick is to trace slowly to ensure even coverage/lines.

4. Let shirt and glue dry completely. Overnight is best.

5. Prepare the dye according to directions on the product.

6. Submerge garment in the dye and let sit for a while, depending on the saturation you desire. Gloves are a must!

7. Rinse garment under warm water until water runs clear. Spread out and let dry.

8. Depending on your fabric, hand wash or run it through the washer to remove excess dye and glue. I recommend washing it by itself the first few washes.

I love my new t-shirt inspired by my love of dragonflies. It’s super soft with a worn look. Making a shirt of your own? Send me a pic to: editors@AtUrbanMagazine.com.

Wondering what else inspires me? Follow me on Pinterest! Search Pinterest.com for catfrederick.