I'm not a crafty mom. I get frustrated with crafts that claim to be EASY and then begin the instructions with "Using a wire cutter, cut a perfectly straightened hanger into 32 equal pieces."
I'm happy to inform you that this Independence Day craft really was super easy, created very little mess, and my boys are so proud to show off their homemade t-shirts.
What You Need:
- White cotton t-shirt
- Red and blue fabric paints
- Paint brush
- Light cardboard for star templates
- Pencil
- 2-inch wide masking tape
What You Do:
- Place cardboard inside the t-shirt to protect the back from the fabric paint leaking through.
- Place a strip of masking tape horizontally across the front of the shirt near the armpits.
- Place strips of masking tape vertically from the bottom of the horizontal piece of tape to the bottom of the t-shirt. Press the tape down firmly.
- Cut a star out of a piece of light cardboard and use this as a stencil to paint stars above the stripes. Paint the stars with blue fabric paint. (We found blue iron-on stars so we used those instead — even easier!)
- Paint the stripes between the strips of tape with red fabric paint.
- Let dry for several hours.
- Remove the tape and the cardboard from inside the shirt and — voilà!
Note: Some types of fabric paint require heat-setting. Be sure to check the label.
