How To Spray Paint Your T-Shirt With A Stencil
You are looking at my new SLC Geek t-shirt. I made it using a stencil and spray paint and you can do the same.
Materials:
- An idea
- T-shirt
- Adobe Photoshop
- Cardstock Paper (at least 110 lb. paper)
- Exacto Knife
- Shoebox (or something else to stretch the shirt around)
- Testers Spray Paint
Make A Graphic:
I created this graphic in Adobe Photoshop. I was trying to make it look like the SLC Punk graphic from the movie. It’s not perfect, but it looks good enough to me. If you’re creative, you can make your own graphic or you can download mine. (If you live anywhere but Salt Lake City, I recommend changing the city name.)
Download the graphic, print it up on card stock and use an Exacto knife to cut out the black bits. Here’s what it looks like once you’ve finished:
Here is a precise tutorial on how to create a stencil using Photoshop:
Spray Your Shirt:
The next step is spraying your shirt using the stencil. You will need to stretch your shirt around something to keep it flat while you’re spraying. I used this shoebox, but you may need something different depending on the size of shirt:
I used Testor’s spray paint because it was something that we already had in the house and the label said it worked on fabric.
One note of caution, we haven’t washed our shirt yet, so we have no idea what it will look like after a few washings. Considering the ink jet transfers are good for only one washing, I think the spray paint will be fair better.
We spray painted outside, but you could do it in your garage just as well. We just don’t like the fumes and we don’t have a garage.
We centered the shoebox in the shirt and placed the stencil on the front.
Spraying was fairly easy. Make sure you spray it from one side and then go around and spray it from the other side as well. The image will come out a little clearer this way.
Once you’re sure that you have full coverage, you can remove the stencil and allow the paint to dry for one hour with the shoebox still inside the shirt.
After that, it should be dry to the touch and you can hang up the shirt to dry for three more hours.
Other Ideas:
My shirt has the overspray around the stencil. I like that look and planned for it, but if you want something cleaner, you can attach paper to the edge of your stencil so there is enough coverage to prevent the overspray.
I only used one color of paint, but you can use many, creating a rainbow effect.
This stencil can be used to paint other things, like your walls or posters. I’ve seen people get old records from the thrift store and paint them with their stencils and hang them on their wall. You’re only limited by the law. Don’t paint things that you don’t own.
If you try this project, please leave a link on my comments so I can see all the creative things you are doing!
Update 09-22-07: We have washed this shirt and the Testers paint survives the wash just fine. Make sure you allow 24 hours of drying time before washing and make sure you wash it before you wear it (unless you like smelling like spray paint).
Cool! I like the overspray look too.
Comment by B. — 9/12/2007 @ 11:30 am
Jason needs a shirt like that. :)
Comment by Marleigh — 9/12/2007 @ 2:42 pm
I saw it in real life and thought you had bought it. You did a pretty good job!
Comment by Stacey — 9/14/2007 @ 9:50 pm
the overspray look is alright on some shirts but if you take some newspaper or something and put it under the edge of the stencil or even tape it on it looks so much cleaner
ive been stenciling shirts for a few years now
if you use spray adhesive on the back of the stencil to adhere it to the shirt it helps to stop the paint from getting underneath the paper
also if you want to use the stencil more than once it helps to tranfer it onto a transparancy or something that holds together better than paper
or if youre just to lazy after each use of the stencil turn it over and give the back side a coat it helps to hold it together
Comment by dallas — 10/27/2007 @ 11:56 pm
I’ve thought about doing this as well - trying to get shirts done on the cheap. My only concern is how many times you can wash the shirt. Any idea how long the paint lasts through washing and drying?
Thanks for posting this!
Comment by Scott — 1/16/2008 @ 11:53 pm
Scott,
I’ve washed that shirt at least five or six times and I haven’t had any problem with losing the color.
One note, however, you cannot spray light colors on dark material. No matter how many coats you put on, it doesn’t show up. For dark shirts, I bought white fabric paint at the craft store and dab it over the stencil with a stencil brush. That works MUCH better than spray paint.
Additionally, Dallas’ recommendation of using transparency sheets is a good one. The paper doesn’t last long when you use fabric paint, but the transparency sheets are impervious and can be washed when you’re done.
Best,
Laura
Comment by Laura Moncur — 1/17/2008 @ 7:15 am
you can heat seal these stencils. get waxed paper put it on the shirt when the image is dry, use an ordinary iron and go to town. it only takes about 30 seconds and youll see the excess paint in the waxed paper when you take it off. it lasts way longer.
and spray adhesive sticks to the shirt and gums up. it sucks. use a thin double sided tape like carpet tape. put it on the back of your drawing then cut it out with the exacto knife (#11 blade) un peel the other side and put it on the shirt. gives a good clean edge.
Comment by DUST — 3/4/2008 @ 2:38 pm
heyyy, i actually just made my first stencil project last night, but i used spray fabric paint instead of just regular spray paint. i like it because it doesn’t have a strong smell, but i guess either way is fine. i like your shirt and you gave really simple instructions. it would have been cool to read what you said before doing mine :]
Comment by Cristina — 4/24/2008 @ 12:05 pm
does it come off in the wash…
sorry if that’s a really obvious answer
:S
xx
Comment by KellieAnn — 5/22/2008 @ 11:22 am
KellieAnn,
I’ve been wearing and washing that shirt for eight months now and it hasn’t washed out or faded at all.
Laura
Comment by Laura Moncur — 5/23/2008 @ 10:04 am
Nice T Shirt I am going to try it myself. Do you think oak tag would work good for a stencil, you know the tan thick paper/cardboard type of thing? AWESOME! Btw everyone that spray paint is like the best for lots of things.
Comment by Tristin — 9/19/2008 @ 3:22 pm
hi,i have this black shirt, and tried fabric spary paint’pink’ and thought it was going to work, but it didnt.
im going back to the store today,
and dont know what im going to get.
i read in another note that you should use
fabric paint and dab it over the stencil.
would the pink fabric paint work then?
Comment by Tiffany — 9/21/2008 @ 9:08 am
Light colored fabric paint WILL cover dark colors. I put white fabric paint on my red shoes and it works just fine.
Comment by Laura Moncur — 9/21/2008 @ 7:15 pm
Another tip is to draw or print your design on paper,then laminate the design, using a laminate sheet and laminate machine. (they dont cost a lot nowadays)
then cut out your design/stencil,your stencils are then much hardier, and can be used several times easily!
jake
Comment by jon burnley — 10/17/2008 @ 3:27 am
I make shirts using light cardboard and regular spraypaint. Turn them inside out and hand wash them…they’ll last a long time. And here’s a little trick, if you want a pro look, spray the back of the stencil with spray adhesive (get it a walmart). Snack boxes and cereal boxes work great for making stencils. And the best part is you get to rock your own designs!!
Comment by Eric D — 10/23/2008 @ 8:41 pm
…ssstencil! yeah! :D
Comment by Fabio Sassi — 10/27/2008 @ 1:55 am