Today I’m sharing one of the cutest gift ideas out there! Cute and so much fun, a washable coloring shirt makes a great present! These are fun to color and can be used again and again. We recently discovered these and they have since been making the rounds at our friend’s birthday parties! Not only are they super fun, they are also quick and easy to make.
Craftiness Level (0-10): 3
Time Investment:15 minutes (not including design time)
Materials:
- Blank t-shirt
- Vinyl (HTV)
- iron or heat press
- teflon sheet
- Silhouette or other die-cut machine
- Silhouette Studio or other design software
- weeding tools
- WASHABLE markers
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Step 1: Create (or import) your design
Of course you will need to start by creating your design. Unfortunately, I can’t give away the SVG for this one, but I can tell you where I got it! I found the design for this shirt in Silhouette’s online store. I also saw a couple other really cute doodle fonts on Etsy! Either way, they are just a couple of bucks! Once you have found your design, go ahead and import it and size it. The washable coloring shirt I made for this example was children’s size 6. I made the design about 7.5 inches long by 3.5 high.
Step 2: Cut & weed your design
Since you will be using HTV, it is crucial to remember that your material needs to be shiny side down on your mat. As always, double check your settings before cutting. I find that I have to play with the HTV setting sometimes to get a clean cut. The design I used did not need to be welded, but if yours does, don’t forget to do so! Also, since you are cutting HTV be sure to mirror your design!
After cutting, you will need to carefully weed your design. These designs have lots of little pieces so weeding is one of the most time consuming parts of the process. If you find that some places did not cut cleanly, use a razor to go over the lines once more, making it easier to weed.
Step 3: Adhere your design to the shirt and press
For shirts I use my heat press. Check the manufacturer recommnedattions for the product you are using to see what settings you use. I find I have to set my press slightly higher than the recommendations. I also place a folded dish towel under shirts, especially children’s shirts, as the seams often get in the way of a good press. Make sure the clear transfer sheet is in tact and be sure to use a teflon sheet over the design to prevent warping of the vinyl.
Before I press, I measure from the armpits to find my center. I start designs 1.5-2 inches below the collar.
If you choose to use an iron you will still need to remember to use a teflon sheet. You will need to press down super hard to make sure it properly adheres. If you can see the fibers of the shirt through the vinyl, then you pressed hard enough. Once your vinyl has adhered, pull off the transfer sheet.
And that’s it! You have made your first washable coloring shirt! Easy peasy!! Add your washable markers and a cute gift bag and it’s ready for some special kid to enjoy, time and time again!
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