T-Shirt Decoration Ideas

T-shirt decoration is a fun activity for kids as well as adults. With so many possible designs, decorating allows you to personalize your clothes and learn new ways to paint and sew on fabrics. Handmade decorated T-shirts also can be gifts for birthdays and themed celebrations, such as a red, white and blue tie-dye shirt for the Fourth of July or snowman reverse applique design for Christmas.

Tie-Dyed

• Start out by laying a white shirt on top of a surface covered in newspaper, so you prevent staining the floor. You also might want to do this outdoors if possible. Wear old clothes or a poncho to avoid harming your good clothes. Find two buckets and fill with hot water, then add different colored fabric dye, which you can find at art supply stores. Then, pinch the shirt in the center and twist all the way around to create a spiral tie-dye. Wrap the shirt up with four rubber bands, crisscrossing so that the bands create a star shape (see Resources, below). Another idea is to tie the shape in random bunches by using several rubber bands. To do this, twist the shirt's fabric and tie a rubber band to hold in place. Put on a protective latex glove and start dipping the wrapped T-shirt in different dyes in the buckets. Try to get as much color as possible, since once you unwrap the shirt, there will be multiple white sections. Remove the rubber bands after five to 10 minutes. Let dry, then wash in cold water without detergent for wearable use.

Thumbprint Flower Tee

• Place a T-shirt on an even surface to start, then fit a piece of cardboard inside of the shirt to separate the front and back. Set up paper plates with different colors of fabric paint. Dip a fingertip into one of the fabric paints and press onto the T-shirt to create a flower center, then dip again to create petals around the center. Draw stems and leaves with a fabric marker. Let the shirts dry with the cardboard inside.

Painted T-Shirt

• Lay a solid-color T-shirt on a flat surface, then insert cardboard into it so that paint does not leak from the front to the back. Use stamps from an art supply store in different shapes to create fun designs, such as hearts and stars. Paint the stamp first before applying it to the shirt. Press the painted side of the stamp onto the shirt and continue until your design is finished. Use as many colors and shapes as you like. Paintbrushes and letter stamps are other tools to use to paint designs on your T-shirt.

Stitched Stars

• This reverse applique decoration requires two T-shirts, one to be worn and the other to be cut up. The shirt used for cutting should have an interesting design such as stripes or different color shapes. Lay the shirt you want to design on a flat surface, then draw a star on the chest part of the shirt in chalk. Cut a square from the second shirt that is large enough to cover the chalk star pattern with two inches to spare on all sides. Turn the tee to be worn inside out, then use straight pins to pin the square's edges to the inside of the T-shirt. Turn the shirt right side out. Use embroidery floss, such as a white thread, and a needle to run a stitch along the chalk star patterns to sew the top layer to the square fabric. Pinch the top T-shirt at the center of the star and pull away from the square fabric. Cut a slit in the top layer, then cut out the star with a 1/4 inch or smaller border inside the stitched lines. Remove the pins from the inside