DIY T-Shirts Using the Silhouette

I posted last year about our annual Elf Party and the party favors that I made using my Silhouette digital cutter. I LOVE using my Silhouette to turn digital into something tangible! We are having our Elf Party again this weekend. This year I decided to make some Elf t-shirts as party favors for our attendees. 

I found a graphic of Buddy the Elf online, and I opened it up inside my Silhouette Studio software and traced the outline. Then I used the font Bebas and typed out one of my favorite Elf quotes.

I moved the text out of the cut zone and cut out the Elf outline, using Silhouette’s Flocked Heat Transfer Sheet in red. I loaded it into the machine with the opaque side up, or shiny colorful side down.

After it’s been cut and I removed it from the machine, I peeled away the extraneous parts of the flocking.

Here it is, colorful side up with the clear shiny sheet on top, ready for ironing onto the t-shirt!

Put the iron setting on about 300 degrees, or the cotton setting. Then place the design where you want it on the shirt, and put a piece of pressing cloth on top. Press down for 45-60 seconds. Then peel away the shiny sheet to reveal the flocking. If the design hasn’t totally adhered to the shirt, iron some more until the shiny sheet peels away. Here you can see the design on the t-shirt. The flocking material gives it a velvet texture.

Next, I cut out the text on cardstock and removed the letters to create a template. You can use adhesive vinyl, freezer paper, or contact paper also.

I position the template where I want the text on my t-shirt, and I use a foam brush to apply fabric ink to it.

Make sure you put a piece of cardboard inside the shirt, underneath where you’re applying the fabric ink, so that it doesn’t seep through to the back of the shirt! After the ink is dry, press on it with an iron again to set the ink.

And here’s my DIY Elf Party t-shirt!

I made the mistake of moving the t-shirt while the ink was still wet, so the “smiling” got smeared a little bit. I’ve learned my lesson about that! Otherwise the shirt turned out great, and I’m making a few more so that each Elf Party guest will have one! 🙂

 

Polly Christine (listgirl)

I’m a creative who pulls inspiration from all corners of life—both the joyful highs and the real-life moments that punch you in the gut. Honestly, I don’t think I can pin down a single scrapbooking style for myself, so let’s just go with eclectic. My layouts really depend on my mindset. If I’m in a deep, cerebral mood, you’ll likely see something chaotic and messy. If I’m more relaxed, it tends to come out clean, simple, and structured.

My brain is usually running on several channels at once, so it’s completely normal for me to be working on a digital layout, dabbling in a hybrid project, and getting messy with art journaling or mixed media—all at the same time.

Here are a few of my go-to tools: Digital: Adobe Photoshop CC + my MacBook; Photos: Canon Rebel or iPhone; Hybrid: Cricut Joy + sewing machine; Art Journaling: watercolors, stencils, and artsticks

And when it comes to embellishments—digital or physical—I’m always reaching for messy threads, ribbons, and Polaroids. Always the Polaroids.

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