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Summer is so much fun, but my kids are always looking for new things to do. One fun craft activity we did this week is creating t-shirts! My kids helped with the design, and I used Tomato Ink transfer paper to make it a reality!
Materials Needed for Creating T-Shirts
All you need is your computer, inkjet printer and a household iron. The transfers are designed for 100% cotton/poly blends.
Creating the Design
We’ve used transfer paper in the past to create costumes, but this time I let my kids pick what they wanted to do. We decided on a Colorado theme.
We made this custom image in Canva and using free stock Photography from Pixabay.
Printing the Design
Transfer paper comes in different sizes and for different fabric colors, so make sure to order the correct type of paper for your project. We had blue shirts, so we’re using the transfer paper for dark colored fabrics.
You simply print the design the way you want it to appear with normal print settings. Just load the paper with the correct side facing out into your printer tray. They suggest top feeding printer, but it worked just fine in my printer that feeds from below.
Transferring the Design
Use the cotton/wool setting on your iron with NO steam.
Iron your shirt.
Cut the image out of the design and remove the backing.
Place the image in position on the shirt (face-up!) and cover with included grease proof paper.
Cover with an additional cotton layer (we used a pillowcase).
Iron using a circular motion for about four minutes or until the image has completely transferred.
And, the finished project!
Making t-shirts can be a fun family DIY project! Try it out!
About TomatoInk
TomatoInk is eco-friendly and low-cost. They’re the best choice for your next printer ink, toner or printing supply order!
Website
What a fun little craft (that doesn’t look stressful)…and a super cute shirt design! I would have never thought to use Canva + Pixabay for shirt design, but it turned out great here! 🙂
Love this idea! Simple way to jazz up a boring t-shirt and make it fun for the kids. What’s it like when washing?
You just wash it inside out in cold water. 🙂
Oh man, this looks SO easy! I’d love to do my own designs. Much easier than my cricut machine! I have to try this!
my Dad makes all his shirts this way. How well does it hold up after washing?
I’ve always had good luck. We wash shirts with transfers inside out and then hang dry them.
Super cute! We love to vacation on DCL and always make shirts for when we board. I was disappointed in the last transfers I used and have been in search of a different brand. I will have to try TomatoInk.
We love DCL as well. We just took our third cruise last year and had matching shirts for boarding as well!
These are great! We love making themed shirts like that for birthday parties! I like how you used Canva for the image. SO cute!
What a fantastic idea! i love this and think it is really clever. I want to design something for my family now!