DIY: Shirts

 sean shirt

 

It’s 6 p.m. Friday night, and you’re at your house, too tired to hang out with friends. At first instinct you want to open Netflix and continue your Breaking Bad marathon, but no — this night will be different. It is time to do something productive with your Friday — something crafty.

A lot of the east student body probably spends more time picking their nose than on arts and crafts. However, making DIY T-shirts has the flexibility to be a craft for the most talented art student, or simple enough for just your average, not so artsy, shmeast kid.

There are plenty of T-shirt designs that can be made at home, but here are two simple ones that might suit

Skull Cut-Out

The skull cut-out shirt is for those who are more meticulous and don’t mind spending the extra time to make each cut. This shirt is also for those who want a simpler T-shirt, since there are less steps. The materials needed are white-out, a solid black shirt and scissors. Unless you have the anatomy of a skull memorized, I suggest googling pictures of a skull so you know what is going to be painted.

Take the white-out and paint the initial shapes of the eyes, nose and teeth of the skull onto the back of your black T-shirt. Once the white-out has dried, you’re ready for the final step. Start cutting out the areas that have been outlined in white-out. It’s OK if the lines aren’t cut exactly. If all the white-out isn’t removed, the shirt will just need a short trip to the sink to wash off any excess.

Once everything outlined has been cut, it’s time to wear your bold, skull shirt. If you are more of a scandalous person, go ahead and wear it with no shirt underneath, but to play it safe it can be worn with a simple white tank or bandeau.

Draw Your Own

For those people who do have some drawing ability the “draw your own design,” T-shirt may come easy. It gives you the freedom to make it as intricate and detailed as you want to make it. The only materials needed for this creation are a dark colored pencil/pen and fabric markers.

First thing to do is rummage around and find a blank T-shirt, preferably a lighter color. Next, if you’re feeling really creative, you can try to free-hand the design. For a first timer, I suggest searching through design websites such as Tumblr and Pinterest for simple designs or pictures for inspiration.

Once an ideal design has been found, it is good to make a sketch of the design using a dark colored pencil or washable marker — that way, mess-ups can be fixed. When the first design is finished, go over the initial sketch with your choice of fabric marker, which can be found at almost any craft store. Once the first sketch is complete, go over it with the fabric marker for the final design, let it dry and put on your sweet, new shirt.

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