STENCIL YOUR WAY TO HAPPINESS!

No money for a new wardrobe? Freezer Paper Stencils are an easy-peasy way to add new life to some old clothes. Here’s a simple and fun project to keep you entertained while you’re escaping the oppressive heat this weekend.

YOU’LL NEED:
• Tee-shirt
• Freezer paper
• Fabric paints and paint brush
• Iron
• Cardboard
• Scissors or an X-ACTO blade

Ready to get started? Grab a tee-shirt you haven’t worn in a while. Stick a piece of cardboard inside your shirt to keep the paint from soaking through. Next, decide what you want to put onto your shirt. Flip through some magazines or surf the internet for some ideas. If you’re new to stenciling, start with something simple.
Draw or trace your image onto a piece of Freezer Paper, the same size you want it to be on your finished shirt. Make sure you draw on the smooth side (not the waxy side). Now cut your design out carefully. If there are smaller pieces within your design, cut those out, too, and hold onto them. (Hint: If you’re dealing with a more complicated stencil that has a lot of smaller inside pieces, number them on the freezer paper before you cut them out, and stick them into an envelope until you’re ready to iron.)
Lay your finished stencil onto your tee-shirt, waxy side down. When you have it the way you want it, iron the freezer paper to the shirt. Once your main piece is ironed on, do the same with any smaller pieces.
Now it’s time to paint! You’ll find a lot of different types of fabric and textile paint at the craft store, but anything labeled fabric paint will work. (You can even find some at Walmart.) A coarse hair or foam stencil brush will work best. The best technique is to press the paint down into the shirt, rather than brush it on from side to side.
Let your shirt dry. You may want a second (or even third) coat of paint, especially if you’re putting a light color of paint on a dark shirt. After the paint is complete dry, just peel the freezer paper off and admire your new duds.
Check the instructions on your paint: You may need to iron the paint or wash and dry the shirt to set the paint. To make it last a long time, turn your shirt inside out before throwing it into the laundry.
Now go forth! Stencil! Once you’ve tried a few tee-shirts, try it on a tote bag, a pair of jeans, or a canvas pair of shoes.