Embellished T-shirt

Here is the perfect way to dress up a plain ole t-shirt. (or cover up a spot that your sweet little boy got on your plain ole t-shirt)

What you will need:

Plain ole t-shirt

Fabric that matches the t-shirt (or fabric that you LOVE and didn’t know what to do with until now)

Heat and Bond Ultra Hold Iron-On Adhesive

Temporary spray adhesive

Iron

Cricut and SCAL or stencil or hand drawn shape, etc.

Begin by figuring out what size your embellishment or design will be. I used a chandelier design found here.

Cut out a piece of Heat and Bond accordingly.

Iron the Heat and Bond, paper side up, to the wrong side of your fabric. Make sure the steam is turned off on your iron and move the iron slowly across the paper until it sticks. Make sure it is completely ironed on by lifting up the edges. If the paper lifts with the iron-on still attached, go over it again with your iron.

If you are using your Cricut, separate the paper from the iron-on. This will allow the blade to cut through the fabric easier. Program the design you want. Make sure the fabric, right side up, is firmly pressed onto the cutting mat. I have had my fabric lift up if I am not very careful about smoothing it down. Now, cut away!

If you are using a stencil or hand drawn design, trace it onto the fabric and cut it out. If your design can be mirror imaged, then it is easier to draw it straight onto the paper and cut it out that way. Don’t do this with letters or they will be backwards when you iron them on. Remove the paper from the iron-on.

After your design is cut, spray a little bit of temporary adhesive on the back so it is easier to position it on your shirt. (especially if it is an intricate, ambitious design as shown below)

Place the design on your shirt where you want it. The temporary adhesive will allow you to pick up your shirt and hold it up in a mirror so you can see how it will look before committing.

Iron your design onto the shirt. I didn’t move the iron for my design because I didn’t want it to catch the edge. So I held the iron in place for about 5 seconds, lifting and moving, until I had the entire design covered. Then I moved it slowly over the entire design. Test by trying to lift edges and corners.

Viola, snazzy t-shirt!

I learned a valuable lesson with this project. If it is your first shirt and first time using your Cricut to cut out a design, start with a design that is less intricate. My machine didn’t quiet cut the design all the way out and left pieces hanging by threads. I had to go through the design and figure out where it was supposed to be attached and where to cut. Next time I try something new, I will try not to be too ambitious. (yeah right)

I used Heat and Bond Ultra Hold because I didn’t want to have to stitch around the design (especially that one). This stuff is supposed to hold without sewing so I will be washing this shirt on delicate and hanging to dry.

Linked to:

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Night Owl Crafting