One of the highlights of summer camp for me was decorating t-shirts. I got to be pretty good at tie dying after awhile! I also have memories of painting on t-shirts with fabric paints – or puffy paints. I remember painting t-shirts in camp and in Girl Scouts! Tulip Soft and 3D Paints are still around and were generous enough to send me a selection of paints to try out!
It’s funny because I remember painting random stripes of color onto my t-shirts with no discernable pattern or direction. However, Tulip sent me one of their vintage books from the 80’s and it clearly had design ideas inside. Check this out:
So, I knew I didn’t want to go with no pattern at all, but I also didn’t want to use any fabulous 80’s ideas! For my first shirt, I decided to use the Tulip Dimensional Fabric Paint. I used a white shirt that had a stain on the front – I figured the paints would hide it well!
The Dimensional Paints are the ones in the package.
I had this design of a “hamsa” that I wanted to use for my shirt. I put cardboard inside the shirt and placed the design on top of that. Then I used the paints to outline and decorate!
I used the colors Fluorescent Blue, Fluorescent Green, Fluorescent Yellow, and Poppin’ Purple.
I think I like it enough to recreate it on other shirts!
For my second shirt, I used the Tulip Soft Fabric Paint in the color Ebony. These paints don’t come with a tip to draw with, and at first I wasn’t sure how to use them. Then I realized I could use a regular foam paintbrush! (You could also use a sponge). I had this red shirt in my drawer which I had wanted to use for a Disney themed iron-on. I’ve had bad luck with iron-ons in the past though, so fabric paint seemed like the way to go!
I used chalk to outline my design. See the cup in the corner? I wasn’t using it to drink out of! I used it to trace the ear circles. For the face, I used a bowl!
Tulip also sent these fabric stencils, so I decided to try them out.
The stencil sticks onto the shirt and I just painted over it.
My edges aren’t perfect, but it’s definitely the look I was going for!
Tulip continues to be a craft favorite in households today! In addition to Tulip Soft Paints and Dimensional Fabric Paints included in my post, Tulip is known for its wide variety of Fashion Glitters, Glam it up Crystals, Fabric Markers and One-Step Tie Dye! Find all your favorite Tulip products by clicking here.
In fact, all this summer Tulip is bringing tie dye to the masses with their Tie Dye Your Summer campaign! They have so many fun tie dye videos and inspirations as well as an awesome giveaway of a tie dye iPad and party (it really is an amazing prize pack that you’ll want to enter! Click here to enter this exclusive giveaway!
And then, if you want to relive some of the puffy paint glory of the past, watch this!
There are totally ideas on that video that can be updated for today!
There are so many more ideas that I want to try now!
Visit Tulip at: Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Blog
One more thing. Gabbie decided to paint a t-shirt too! This shirt already had the dancer and the orange square around it, but she added the rest!
I was compensated for this post with product and payment via The Blueprint Social but all ideas and opinions are my own.
