How to Make a T-Shirt Feel Worn
A t-shirt is an article of clothing that is unlike many other garments. The more worn it feels, the more comfortable the t-shirt will be. Like a worn pair of jeans, there are few things that are quite as comfortable as a t-shirt that feels nice and worn. The t-shirt can be made to feel more worn than it is in a number of ways. It can also be made to feel less stiff by avoiding some types of garment care.
If a t-shirt feels stiff, it might be getting the type of care that makes clothing feel less worn. This may include spray starch and ironing. If you want the t-shirt to feel more worn, don’t iron it and throw away the starch. Starch has never made anything feel more comfortable.
And as far ironing: don’t. Most t-shirts don’t wrinkle anyway. If they do happen to have a few wrinkles, they will smooth out as the t-shirt is worn. Ironing a shirt makes it feel a little stiffer and not as if it was well worn. Washing and drying is all the care that a t-shirt really needs most of the time.
For a little extra comfort, always use fabric softener when you wash your t-shirt. This gives it an overall softer feeling and makes it feel as if it has been worn many times. Some washers have an area where a liquid fabric softener can be added and released slowly over time. There are also liquid fabric softeners that can be poured directly into the washer along with the detergent.
For the dryer, use a fabric softener sheet. These are placed in the dryer with the wet clothes and thrown away after the clothes are dry. A dryer sheet will leave the t-shirt feeling soft and comfortable every time you use it.
To keep the t-shirt feeling soft, also be sure to use the correct amount of detergent. Using too much can leave a heavy film on the clothes that will make them feel a little heavier and not as soft. A shirt that is clean but not full of soap has a much nicer feel.
Some people like to stone wash their t-shirts. This can be done by actually washing it with a rough stone, but more often it’s actually done with sandpaper. Rubbing the t-shirt with large-grain sandpaper will very quickly make it feel worn. Simply lay the t-shirt flat and rub it in an up-and-down motion all over the t-shirt.
Perhaps the most effective way to make a t-shirt feel worn is to wear it. Wearing it often, even under other clothing, will make it worn and comfortable in no time. Wear it, wash it and throw it in the dryer and it will become more worn than if it were worn rarely and kept in a drawer. And, the great thing about a t-shirt is that the more you wear it, the more comfortable it is. So don’t leave it in a drawer- get out there are wear it.
How Can I Draw On A T-Shirt?
Drawing on a T-shirt is always a unique way to personalize it. It can turn a great shirt into a priceless souvenir. It can also simply dress up a T-shirt at the last minute, when you don’t have time to have it professionally printed. For the proud parent or grandparent, a child’s drawing on a T-shirt is the ultimate way to show off your little one’s talent and your pride. It can be done as art projects, contests and much more.
There are several different ways to draw on a T-shirt, each with differing results. The least expensive way would be to use permanent marker for your designs. Remember to put a couple of sheets of paper inside the shirt while you are drawing so the ink does not transfer to the back of the shirt. The drawing will fade a bit with time, but it should be more or less permanent. The downside is that it is usually obvious that your T-shirt drawing was an amateur job.
You can also use fabric paint pens to do T-shirt painting. This will give you a much more vivid, realistic image for your T-shirt. The image should not fade as much as a marker design, and will give the appearance of being a much more professional drawing. Simply follow the directions included with the marker and you will be on your way to a beautifully done T-shirt drawing.
Acrylic paints can also be used with amazing results. The trick is to be sure to wash and dry the T-shirt without using any fabric softener, prior to painting. After you have finished painting the T-shirt it is important to set the paint. This can be done using white vinegar or a commercially made craft product specifically for this use. Vinegar will not preserve the paint as long as the commercially made product, but it is still a very good option. It will take up to a year before you see fading with a vinegar-treated shirt.
The fourth and most professional way to draw on a T-shirt is to have a drawing you have made custom-printed on a T-shirt of your choice. If you or your child has done work that you are extremely proud of, a copy of it can be printed on a custom-made T-shirt. That’s the beauty of such tees. You not only choose the color and style, but you customize them in the way that suits you best, even with your own artwork or that of a loved one.
Painting on T-shirts is a great craft idea and lots of fun. You can even have T-shirts custom-made for special events leaving space for you to draw on your tee. You can have a T-shirt printed with a line like one of these.
• This is what I did in art class
• Product of art camp – Summer 2009
• Proud Mom of a Talented Artist
• This is my kid’s drawing. Isn’t it good!
Get your custom-made drawing T-shirt today and show that you are an art lover in all media and proud of it.
How to Stencil a T-Shirt
T-shirt stenciling is a fun way to quickly customize a shirt. It can be a way to make a very complicated image into a t-shirt picture, or a way to design a t-shirt by using simple shapes. Many people use stencils on t-shirts to customize it with letters and numbers.
Letters and numbers are simply to stencil onto a t-shirt. Stencils are available in any craft store, or you can make your own. All you need is a sturdy cardboard cut out of each letter or a plastic stencil for each. The stencils are placed in their desired arrangement on the t-shirt and then marked in place with a pencil.
On ready-made stencils, there are small cut-out points where the end of a pencil will fit through. Use these points to mark the placement of each stencil. This will allow you to line up the stencil again if it gets bumped or moved, or if you need to come back and redo the stencil with another color. It will also allow you to line up individual letters and numbers to make sure you are stenciling them in a straight line. This is a much more accurate method than simply eyeing the letters and will result in much straighter rows of numbers and letters.
If you’ve made the stencil yourself, simply mark the t-shirt along the outside edges of the stencil. This will allow you the same security as a ready-made pencil point. The pencil markings will wash away easily as soon as the t-shirt is laundered.
For more complicated designs, you can use a ready-made stencil that is meant for wall painting, or look in stencil books. Stencil books have many cardboard stencils to choose from and make it easy to find several designs with the same theme. These are punched out of the book and are used in much the same way as letter stencils. Lay the stencil on the shirt and mark it with a pencil before starting. Then, use your medium of choice to fill in the stencil.
For t-shirts, many people use markers because they are easy to write with, have a precise tip and come in a wide variety of colors. A permanent marker will work on a t-shirt, or use fabric markers. Either type can be used to fill in any stencil with solid color.
Another option is fabric paint. These paints are specifically designed to stay on fabric and not wash away. When using fabric paints, paint from the outside of the stencil to the inside, working toward the center of each area to be stenciled. This lessens the chance of the fabric paint slipping underneath the stencil and making the design blurry.
Use a small brush, even if the area to be stenciled is large. This gives you more control over where the paint goes and will keep the design neater. Most paints require setting the paint with an iron or drying it in a clothes dryer before wearing the design. Follow the directions of the individual paint type and you’ll have a t-shirt that is permanently painted with your handiwork.
How to Remove Oil from Your T-Shirt
Oil and fabrics are never a good mix. Oil can stain clothing faster than just about anything else that touches it. And t-shirts, being made of breathable cotton, can be especially vulnerable to it. Fortunately, there are a number of things that can be done to take out the oil before it permanently damages the t-shirt. If caught in enough time, there’s no reason that an oily t-shirt that looks hopeless can’t end up looking as good as new.
One home remedy that many use against oil is shampoo. A baby shampoo can be used if the stain is mild, or a harsher shampoo can be used if the stain is more severe. The shampoo should be rubbed into the stain for a few minutes and then rinsed out with warm water. The t-shirt can then be washed in the laundry as usual. The oil should run out of the shirt and leave it looking like it did before.
If that doesn’t work for your particular oil spot, try a dishwashing detergent. It may sound strange, but a liquid dishwashing soap may be the most effective thing you can use on a tough oil stain. Dishwashing detergents are made to cut the oil that is left behind on pots and pans and to allow it to be rinsed away. This same principle can be used for your t-shirts. The dishwashing soap can be applied in much the same way as the shampoo- rub it into the oily area, rinse it away and then wash the shirt as you normally would.
If the stain is particularly tough, try changing the way you apply the dishwashing soap. Instead of rubbing it into the fabric of the t-shirt, scrub it into the fabric with an old toothbrush. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles to avoid damaging the fabric or causing too much wear to the oily area.
If either of these methods doesn’t work for a stubborn stain, combine one or both of these methods with a hot-water soak. Add some shampoo or dishwashing soap into the water and allow the t-shirt to soak for about half an hour. Then, take the t-shirt out and wash it in the washing machine.
Baby powder is another home remedy that many people swear by. The powder soaks up the oil which can then be removed when you remove the baby powder. The problem with baby powder, however, can often be the smell that is left behind. It may also stain dark t-shirts. If you want to try it anyway, use cornstarch instead. This has a similar effect but will not leave the same strong scent behind. It is also less hazardous to those with asthma or other respiratory problems as talc can be.
Whichever method of oil remover you decide to use, never put your clothes into the dryer until you are certain the stain has come out. Drying clothes in the dryer will set the stain and make it far more difficult to remove.
How to Pack T-Shirts without Wrinkling Them
Most t-shirts generally don’t wrinkle too badly when kept in a drawer or a closet. However, when the t-shirts are packed, it’s a different story all together. The tightly-packed atmosphere of a suitcase or duffel bag can mean that the t-shirt will come away with a large number of wrinkles if it is not packed correctly.
Packing a t-shirt the right way is mostly a matter of folding them correctly and placing them into the suitcase the right way. The folding can be done in one of two ways. The first and most common way is to fold the t-shirts so that there are the fewest number of creases possible. The creases should mainly happen where there is a seam. The sleeves can be folded at the seam and placed behind the front of the shirt. The whole shirt can then be folded once across the middle to minimize the amount of creases and wrinkles.
The best way to make sure that the t-shirt is not wrinkled at all is to pack the folded t-shirt in a suitcase or bag that is not overfilled. Just about anything that is packed in a stuffed suitcase, no matter what type of fabric it’s made of, will wrinkles. The weight and pressure of too many items in the suitcase will force harder creases and wrinkles into the clothing. It will result in wrinkles in the t-shirts as well as everything else in the suitcase. If you have a lot of things to pack, carry an extra bag to prevent the items being smashed together too tightly.
The other way to pack t-shirts is a less common way to do it, but it can result in zero wrinkles if done correctly. The folding is actually done by rolling the t-shirts instead of the traditional fold. Lay the t-shirt out flat in front of you and start at the collar. Continue to the end, rolling the entire shirt into a loose roll. Rolling it too tightly can leave a few wrinkles in it. But, like the other folding method, wrinkles can be pressed into the t-shirts by packing them too tightly into the bag.
The rolling method of t-shirt folding is not only good for preventing wrinkles, it is also a good space saver. It reduces the amount of space needed for the t-shirts and enables them to be packed into the odd-sized spaces left in the suitcase. Just don’t be tempted to fill in the extra space with too many new items.
Some people also use tissue paper to put a little extra space in between their items. A sheet or two of tissue paper can be placed on top of each item to give it a little more cushion. This prevents the t-shirts from becoming packed too closely to other items and coming away with deep creases.
For another layer of insurance, use a hard-sided suitcase. This ensures that the items in the suitcase won’t be smashed by rough handling or by being stored too closely to other suitcases. By taking a little care, you can ensure that the t-shirts arrive at their destination wrinkle-free and ready to wear.
How to Make Your T-Shirt Soft
T-shirts are so popular because they are comfortable, easy to wear and are likely one of the softest items of clothing you own. The soft, combed cotton that is used for t-shirt has a feel that is unlike any other. There are some types of clothing care, however, that can take away some of that softness. If your t-shirts are starting to feel a little stiff or if you just want to make sure that they never end up feeling that way, there are several ways to take care of it and ensure a softer t-shirt.
Fabric Softener
Using a fabric softener may seem like a simple thing, but there are an enormous number of ways to use it. There are the well-known dryer sheets that can be added to the dryer along with the wet clothes, but there are a number of other types. There are fabric softener balls that are added to the washer. These balls add a liquid fabric softener into the wash at the right time. Another way to use fabric softener is to pour in a liquid type that is poured in during the rinse cycle.
Drying
The key to the softness of any item of clothing is usually the way it has been dried. Line drying a t-shirt will leave it far stiffer than putting it through a dryer cycle. Many people choose to use line drying anyway because of the energy savings or the cost of a dryer. Some simply prefer the way clothing smells after it has been line dried. If you like line-drying your t-shirts, try using a quick 5-minute drying cycle after the t-shirts are mostly dry. This will result in a t-shirt that has still saved energy and still has the smell of line-dried clothing, but it will have the soft feel of t-shirts that have been dried in a dryer.
Softening the Water
If your clothes aren’t getting softener, it may the water itself that needs softened. If you have hard water, it can take a serious toll on your clothing every time it’s washed. To soften the water, add a little bit of vinegar into the washer during the rinse cycle. Some people also use two rinse cycles when washing their clothes to ensure that all of the soap has been removed and to make sure that the vinegar is having an impact on the t-shirts.
To make sure that any t-shirt doesn’t get hard again, also make an effort to keep it clean. Some t-shirts may harden when they are left dirty for long periods of time. Sweat, body oils, dirt, deodorant and other substances can harden the fabric if they are left on it for too long. Wash t-shirts as they become dirty and then make sure to take a step or two to ensure that the wash will lead to softer t-shirts. This will ensure that the comfort of a brand-new t-shirt goes on and on, even when the t-shirt has been worn and washed many times.
How to Stretch Your T-Shirt
We’ve all got that one t-shirt that would fit perfectly if we could just stretch it out a bit. Chances are, your t-shirt fell victim to one of the most common culprits, the washer and dryer. Or, maybe you bought it a little too small because the t-shirt was unique or too good a deal to pass up but the store did not have quite your size. Whatever the reason for your ill fitting t-shirt, it’s time to stop looking in your closet, pulling out the t-shirt, and putting it back. Stretch that baby and give it some wear time!
There are a couple methods for stretching a t-shirt that can be used when either the garment is wet or dry. The first one involves simply trying to stretch the t-shirt by pulling on it. While most people may try just tugging on the shirt in its poorly fitted places when it’s dry and on their body, this method isn’t usually successful. In fact, if your t-shirt has graphics on it, it may distort them and give away your attempt to stretch your t-shirt. Stretching a t-shirt while it is wet is most successful.
The first step after wetting the shirt is to lay it on a flat surface and start pulling gently on the fabric in the areas that you need to stretch out. You should pull lengthwise and crosswise during your stretching process. After you’ve stretched out the wet shirt, hang it to dry. A second tactic to use while the t-shirt is wet is to stretch it with an iron. The heat setting of the iron should be on a low to medium. Gently run the iron over the problem area pushing out the fabric lengthwise and crosswise. As with hand stretching, hang the t-shirt to air dry. A final method that can be attempted is to use your iron on a dry shirt using the same technique as above. This method however is likely to only be successful in situations where limited stretching is needed.
Having a larger sized family member or friend put on your shirt and wear it may sound like another option for stretching out your t-shirt. However, you’d better think carefully before you choose someone to help you out with this! If the size differential between you and your friend or family member is too great, you’ll ruin your shirt. However, if the differential is not great enough, you may get little or no stretching. Therefore, depending on how much the shirt needs to be stretched and if you have the right individual to utilize for the process, this idea may work. However, you may undo all your stretching work when you wash the t-shirt prior to wearing it yourself.
Are you ready to take on stretching that t-shirt and make it fit properly? Then drag it out of the closet and figure out just how much stretching you’ll need to do to achieve the fit you’re after. Just remember – the stretching techniques used for wet shirts work best for t-shirts that need a whole lot of stretching. Finally, remember each time you wash your t-shirt you might need to repeat the whole process to get that perfect fit again. Happy stretching!
How to Paint Baby’s Footprint on T-Shirt
Having a child is an emotional experience that many parents want to remember forever. The intense love and connection between a baby and his parents seems to put everything into perspective immediately. Parents are often left feeling a deep connection causing them to want everything for the little one and wanting to protect them from the cruelty of outside world. There is so much joy in being a parent that you may want to record how precious your child was. One really fun way to do that is by having your baby’s tiny footprint painted onto a t-shirt.
There are several ways to get your child’s footprint onto a t-shirt. Paint may be the easiest and most colorful solution. You will need fabric paint for this, other paints may not hold well and either bleed through or wash off the shirt making all your hard work useless. After selecting your color of paint and t-shirt you will need to prepare the shirt. It is a great idea to wash the t-shirt before doing anything to it. Washing the shirt will help keep it from shrinking later. Place the shirt flat on a solid surface such as a table or countertop. Put a piece of cardboard inside the shirt to prevent the paint from bleeding through and causing damage to the back.
After the shirt is prepared pour the paint onto a plate, preferable paper so you can through it out after. Dip your baby’s clean foot into the paint for a thick print. You can also run a small foam roller brush through the paint then over the baby’s foot for a print that isn’t too thick and is coated evenly. You may need someone to help you keep the t-shirt in place so it doesn’t move as you press the paint covered foot firmly yet gently onto the t-shirt. Pull the foot straight up keeping the t-shirt taught. Allow the t-shirt to dry according to the paint’s directions or for two days if there aren’t any instructions. You can also use the same method with ink instead of paint.
Another way to get the baby’s footprint onto a t-shirt is by scanning an image of the baby’s footprint onto a computer. You can use one you placed onto paper on your own, or use the copy from the hospital. After the image is scanned, you then print the image onto an iron-on transfer sheet. The transfer is ready to iron onto the t-shirt per the instructions. This is a fun way to put the footprint onto a t-shirt without having to be messy if you simply use the footprint the hospital provides.
Babies grow up faster than anyone can imagine. Those tiny feet and toes do not stay tiny long. Capturing the image of those little feet onto a t-shirt is a great way to remember those beautiful times with your little one. Footprint t-shirts are also a great present for grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Making a shirt for those that love the baby is an excellent way to share in your happiness and provides the wearer with a way to show off those tiny feet.
How to Remove an Itchy T-Shirt Neck Tag
An itchy tag is something that can be an annoying part of any day. Trying to shop or carry on a conversation while trying to reach for an itching tag is no way to go about your day. There are a number of ways that an annoying tag can be dealt with, however.
To get rid of an itchy tag, many people reach for the scissors. This can have one of three outcomes. The tag can be cut short and become even itchier, it can be cut even shorter and become comfortable or a hole can be cut in the neck of the t-shirt. Because all tags are not attached the t-shirts in the same way, taking the same approach to removing every tag can result in severe damage to the shirt. To remove the tag the proper way, take a look at how the tag is attached. Only after the tag and the stitching have been evaluated should you actually try to remove the tag.
There are tags that are sewn into the shirt with the same line of stitches that holds the seam together. For these tags, there is little that can be done besides cutting the tag as short as possible. This should be tony with fine scissors so that the tag is not left too long and the stitches are not cut accidently.
For tags that are sewn on with a different line of stitching from the seam, there are more options available. The tag can be cut away from the t-shirt by using a seam ripper. This small device will pull the stitches out of the shirt quickly and efficiently. If you don’t have a seam ripper, however, there are other options. To get the tag to fall away from the shirt, you might cut one or more of the stitches holding it on and then try to pull the thread to pull out the rest of the stitches. You may need to push and pull the thread a few times to do this, but it can be done with many items. Tweezers can sometimes be helpful when trying to remove tags with this method.
You can also use a small pair of hair-cutting scissors in place of a seam ripper. The small points at the end of these scissors will enable you to get a blade in between the tag and the thread. The thread can then be simply cut away from the tag, enabling it to be easily removed.
If the tag does have separate stitching from the seam, and the stitching doesn’t look very tight, you might be able to simply rip the tag out of the shirt. This should of course be done only after assessing the tag and making sure that the seam will not be affected. If it doesn’t work, it may loosen up the thread so that it’s easier to cut it away from the tag. If you do try pulling the tag out, pay attention to how it is affecting the garment. If it looks like the neck is being stretched out, stop pulling and try another method.
Why Not Make Your Own Vintage T-Shirts?
These days, t-shirts are not confined anymore to uniforms for sports teams or workout clothes. T-shirts have become more and more fashionable in recent years, with people wearing them as the centerpiece—the most important part—of their outfits. One of the most popular types of t-shirts these days is the vintage style. T-shirts with a vintage style are usually thin and very soft, with faded but interesting colors, and great, unique designs. Many of them have old logos or slogans for products.
The problem with actual vintage t-shirts is that they are, in fact, used. They may be falling apart, may be stained. If they are in good shape, they are probably very expensive. People pay lots of money for clothes labeled “vintage.” They pay a lot more than they’d be willing to pay for a regular, new t-shirt.
So how can you get the funky, stylish, comfortable quality of a vintage t-shirt without sacrificing fabric quality and cost effectiveness?
The answer to this question is simple. Make your own “vintage” t-shirt! While it might be silly to take a perfectly good t-shirt and distress and abuse it to make it look like someone else has been wearing it for years, it would be silly at all to start paying attention to what exactly you like about vintage shirts, and start brainstorming from there. Vintage shirts tend to be more interesting than new shirts because they are more carefully designed. The slogans and images are more colorful, literally and figuratively. Very often the slogans are humorous and sometimes they rhyme. If the t-shirts are advertising a product, they often have an image of the product included. So maybe you could design your own product and a slogan for it. If you want to spend less time on it, you could look for ideas in old fabric swatches or wall paper patterns. These things won’t be worrisome in terms of copyrighting, but they will help you get a feel for the aesthetic of the time period that most vintage t-shirts might come from.
Once you decide what to put on your t-shirt, you can also decide on a background color. Most t-shirt printing companies offer a surprisingly large amount of colors to choose from. Vintage t-shirts often have colors that are more complex than primary colors, so try for those. They’ll give your t-shirt a much more unique look. Of course, you’ll want your t-shirt’s color to coordinate well with your design, so consider that as well. Also, some colors look newer than others. Bright primary colors, for example, will be very obviously new when your new t-shirt arrives. Darker colors or faded, heather-based colors will look older, especially with your vintage-style design on top of them.
Try these tips, and get creative, and you’ll be able to create some one of a kind, new vintage-style t-shirts. Once you have your t-shirt, you can match it with real vintage jeans or with a dressier outfit for going out at night. T-shirts these days a very versatile - especially if they look vintage. So get creative, and bring the past into the present!