Do you want to bring your own flair into your wardrobe? Then textile painting is right for you. Because with this fun activity you can give free rein to your creativity when painting T-shirts. Get to know the different techniques here in the text and then try them out for yourself at home! Especially great is the color fun as a community activity, e.B. at children’s birthday parties. Read on and discover the entertaining world of fabric painting!
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Why paint the T-shirt at all?
If you’re wondering what the whole thing makes, then watch out now: First, as I said, it’s really fun. Second, you can be proud of yourself afterward for having designed your own fabrics and motifs. It gets even better when others talk to you about it and compliments you. Third, you can finally live out the design dreams you always wanted but never found in the store. So: If your ideal shirt doesn’t exist yet, just do it yourself!
By the way, the whole thing is not limited to the adult world – the T-shirt painting is also ideal for children. Of course, a little more needs to be prepared for the little ones. For example, for safety, it makes sense to actively search for odorless and non-toxic colors. Otherwise, however, nothing stands in the way of joint textile painting. Best of all: By designing the clothes, you playfully promote the creativity of your up-and-coming artists!
All the materials you need for textile painting can be found in our online shop!
Preparation of the substance
Before you start, you have to consider a few things when choosing the fabric. It should not be too dark so that the color is clearly visible later. If you absolutely want to paint a black T-shirt, you will also find special textile color. Also rely on cotton material – the more synthetic fibers are included, the worse your design holds. In addition, painting on elastic fabrics is more difficult.
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Then prepare your T-shirt correctly: Wash, dry and iron it so that the color holds well in the washing machine at the end. Because by cleaning you free the fabric from chemical residues of the production and remove any dirt or dust. This allows the paint to adhere better to the material. The subsequent ironing also smoothes the surface, so that you can work wrinkle-free like on a canvas.
Before it can really start, however, you should also prepare the workplace. Lay out old newsprint so that no accidental splashes of paint end up on your furniture. To protect your clothes, it’s best to roll up your sleeves and wear an apron. Especially in children, this precaution is very important, as their motor skills are not yet as accurately trained as yours and therefore there is a higher chance of unintentional blobs.
Painting techniques and materials for the T-shirt
From freehand painting, to stencils and stamps, to pens – it’s easy to lose track of all the textile painting processes. Don’t be put off by the plethora of techniques when you want to paint your T-shirt. Through them you have a greater variety and more artistic freedom! Here in the article we bring you closer to the most popular materials and the accessories you need, so that you do not feel so lost in the selection.
No matter what type of paint you’re working with, you need to preserve the dry result so that it can survive several wash cycles. Fortunately, the packaging usually contains the best fixing technology for your chosen product. We explain the most popular method: To do this, iron the motif with an applied cloth as an intermediate layer and heat protection for about five minutes and seal it like this. For stiff textiles where the iron cannot find a suitable contact surface, a hairdryer with hot air has the same effect.
Paint a T-shirt with a brush
The most intuitive way to paint T-shirts is the one in which the material is simply used as a canvas. Place a solid piece of cardboard between the layers of fabric so that you can use a smooth and stable surface for the artist. Be careful not to smear the paint during the process – applying coloring is easier than removing it. To help the drying process, you can gently blow warm air onto the damp areas with a hairdryer.
Painting a T-shirt with a brush – but how does that actually work? First, you choose a motif. Either you sketch your desired picture on a piece of paper or you look for a template from the Internet. Then it’s ready to go: Take your liquid textile paint and carefully follow your elaborated plan. Do this either freehand by placing the sketch next to it, or by taking breaks if your fabric is translucent. If you prefer to work chaotic, abstract or simply hands-on, you can also start directly with your fingers on the T-shirt.
By the way, if children take part in the T-shirt painting, bristle brushes are better suited than natural and synthetic hair. Due to their stable shape, they make it easier for the little ones to paint more precisely and apply paint exactly where they want. In itself, however, all brushes are adequate for textiles – it always depends on the desired degree of difficulty of the creative task. Then take one of the size 00 and expect a long and accurate painting process.
Textile pens – what do you have to consider?
Textile pens dry faster – which means you have less risk when working. In addition, they facilitate detailed painting, especially if the pen has a small tip. However, they are unsuitable for stretchy fabrics, as they drag the material with them when pressed. You can solve this problem by priming the T-shirt with a neutral liquid color beforehand. Of course, you have to let this layer dry before you start designing.
When painting a T-shirt with textile pencils, you can choose between three approaches. First: You sketch freehand on the material and let yourself be guided by your creativity in the moment. Second, you play it safe and design (or search) a template again. You can now put them next to the garment and take them as inspiration. Third: You place the motif under the first layer of fabric and pause the lines.
By the way, this works particularly well with thin, light fabrics and with a light table. Don’t have one? Simply place LED light strips under a glass plate, position the paper and your shirt over it and you will see the outlines of the sketch more clearly.
Painting a T-shirt with a stamp
With stamps you escape the compulsion to imitate lines as well as possible. Simply brush them with paint, press them off and you have the motif on the fabric as if by magic. Best of all, you can create your own patterns by stamping the stamps on the material at regular intervals. But keep in mind that the liquid paint takes time to dry and smears slightly.
By the way, you don’t necessarily have to buy the stamps first. You can easily make them yourself. Many people probably know the potato stamp: Cut your desired shape into a halved potato with a knife and brush it with paint – Tadaa! Incidentally, this is exactly how it works with apples. Less known: The lemon stamp. For these, you halve a lemon, let it dry briefly and then coat it with paints. Press them on your garment and you have a shirt with a tropical pattern.
But cutting fruits and vegetables into shape is usually a bit coarse. For more accurate designs, it’s best to pick up a plate of stamp rubber. Draw the desired shape and cut it out with precise carving tools. After that, you glue the result to a piece of wood, which should be so large that you can hold it comfortably in your hand. Paint colorful and off you go! By the way: Do you have no stamp rubber and no matching block? Then use cut foam rubber molds on a lint roll or rolling pin. If you let them slide over the fabric, you get a whole series of motifs at once on the material.
Stencils and how they work
Do you want to apply a complex design to multiple shirts? Then stencils are right for you. The concept is similar to the stamp: you design the motif in advance or simply buy one and put it on the fabric for attaching. There are two kinds of templates – either you cut out cavities that are then filled, or you paint around your shape. It is best to use a sturdy plastic film for this, as paper soaks quickly with repeated use. If necessary, a plastic document cover is also sufficient.
The coloring process can be done with liquid or spray paint. Brushes and spatulas are best suited for stencils to apply your liquid paint. If you don’t have any of these aids at home, you can also simply pick up an old cosmetic or kitchen sponge. The main thing is that the colorful mass is ultimately evenly distributed.
But be careful: Don’t accidentally paint too far around the template. You can prevent this by placing paper in the places that should remain pure for protection. Malerkrepp is also very helpful in this situation. Simply stick on it and peel it off again after designing. You can also apply this directly to the template so that it does not slip. To protect yourself from the paint that may run under them, simply apply special fixing spray to the bottom before hanging up.
Paint T-shirt even as a beginner
When all the fun is over, there’s only one thing left: tidying up. The newspaper protection layer moves from the work surface into the paper waste. Brushes, sponges, spatulas and stencils are cleaned with warm water and a little detergent. Gently wash out the soap so that the brushes do not lose bristles and the sponges and stencils remain intact. Let it dry and you’re ready for the next T-shirt painting session!
You realize: The world of textile painting is huge. From painting, to drawing and stamping, to stencils, there is a wide range of techniques waiting to be tried out by you and your loved ones. Just give it a try! The worst thing that can happen is that the final product does not meet your wishes.
But even then, it wasn’t in vain. First, you have gained experience and are learning from your mistakes. Secondly, you can still wear the failed shirt to sleep. Feel free to write us in the comments how your adventures went while painting a T-shirt!
