Bright Idea - DIY Screenprinting

It's time for another Bright Ideas linky! I look forward to these every month because I get a ton of great, product-free ideas. This month I'm going to share how I made class t-shirts for our track and field day.

A few weeks in advance, I asked the kids to bring in a plain white t-shirt. Most everyone already had one at home, and I suggested to those that didn't that maybe they would want to pair up with someone who wears the same size and split a multi-pack. And since there are always a few kids that really don't have the means to get one, I found a deal at Joann's for $3 shirts (BEFORE the teacher discount!) and just asked them to give me their sizes. In fact, I offered to shop for others if they wanted to just give me the $3.

In the meantime, I designed the logo that I wanted on the shirts in PowerPoint. I tried to think of something that would connect so that I would only have one piece to deal with.

Then I printed a few copies out on cardstock and cut them out. I wanted something thicker than regular paper so it would hold up a bit and not get soggy. I also wanted more than one copy so that they could dry a bit between uses.

These have already been sprayed...

While at Joann's, I found this great spray fabric paint. I got a variety of colors for a decent price, and of course, I had a coupon.

I took a piece of construction paper and put it inside the shirt (which is the dark area you can see in the picture below) and laid the template on the shirt. In a few squirts, the shirt was done! I will tell you that the edges aren't totally clean and crisp because the template wasn't heavy enough to be completely flat against the shirt, but it worked for us! Then it was a matter of letting the kids use Sharpies to sign the backs of the shirts :) Easy peasy for this OCD, don't-get-my-room-dirty teacher!

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