Because acrylic paint doesn’t come off clothes.
So I thought, why not paint a shirt with it? I had a couple of plain white t‑shirts that I’m waiting to refashion, and one day I saw someone wearing a shirt with watercoloury stripes, so I thought I could just dilute acrylic paint and make it look all watery. It was acrylic paint from a dollar store too :D
Oh yes, and it was one of those Hanes white undershirts. I cut off the collar and the sleeve cuffs before painting it.
Because the paint is so watery, it soaks in all at once as soon as the brush touches the shirt, making it all blotchy-looking. I eventually developed a method of painting the shirt with a line of plain water first, then went over with paint. It made the paint flow better.
I let the painted shirt dry and then put it directly into the wash. Didn’t rinse it or iron it to heat-set the colour. I guess I just had a feeling that the acrylic is going to stay put.
And I’m glad I was right, because I really had no idea. But the paint didn’t run in the wash, it didn’t colour any of the other stuff blue, it didn’t even fade much (it just looked lighter when it was dried) Success! :D
The shorts were also refashioned from a pair of hand-me-down jeans that didn’t look very good on me. I just cut off most of the pant legs and rolled the cuffs. I haven’t worn shorts since I was in grade school. Not that I didn’t like them, I just didn’t buy new ones after I outgrew the ones from childhood. But because this summer is warmer than usual I thought about making some shorts. Mike said they make me look taller :D
I realized that I cut too much off the collar, so I had to take in the shoulders and sleeves afterward. But it made a really cool chevron pattern :D
Hope you’ve had a good start to the week!Â
That’s really pretty!
What a neat idea! I have a fabric painting project book called Skydyes, but I’ve never got around to trying it first hand. After looking at your lovely shirt I may have to give it a try.
thank you, Brenda! Happy crafting! :D
Thank you, Michelle! :D
I did it too and it looks great! The shirt’s not ready yet, but THANK YOU for this wonderful idea! I always have acrylic paint in the house, but I never thought of putting it on clothing. It is really cool and I’m definitely going to do it again :)
Picture on my blog: http://liraeldreams.blogspot.com
i’m waiting for ideas to paint the second shirt too! :D