9.19.2010

Freezer Paper Stenciling

Arrr, it be National Talk Like a Pirate Day!! I hope ye be takin' advantage of this here holiday! :) I considered writing this entire tutorial in pirate, but then I decided against it. It would be a little too hard to read wouldn't it?

I hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday! I got to spend the weekend at my parent's house watching chick flicks, visiting art museums in D.C., eating my favorite foods and watching Big Bang Theory! This will make a little more sense in a little bit. On with the tutorial!

Freezer paper stenciling is a lot of fun and super easy to do! I can think of so many more things I'm going to do with this simple technique! To get started, you will need...

  • Freezer paper (this can be found in large grocery stores by the aluminum foil and wax paper)
  • Article of clothing to be stenciled
  • Stencil (an image of what you want on your clothes)
  • Pencil for tracing
  • Bleach or fabric paint
  • Scissors
  • Craft knife
  • Iron/ironing board
  • Thick piece of cardboard
I created this image in Word using word art and shapes for my stencil. I then traced it onto a large piece freezer paper on the paper side. The waxy side is what's going to be ironed onto your clothes so make sure you're tracing on the paper side!

The hardest part is just cutting out the stencil (this is where the craft knife comes in very handy!)

Once I got my letters cut out, I cut out the "negative" of the starburst.

Stencil cut out!

Using a DRY iron (no steam, no starch, no nothing!) pre-iron your fabric.

Then, still using a dry iron on medium heat, gently iron your stencil on, waxy side down. If it doesn't adhere easily, slowly increase heat until it does. Smooth out any wrinkles and make sure all edges of your stencil are iron on. Don't burn your paper!

Since I had a bunch of letters to iron on, I used my stencil to see where they all needed to go.

I re-ironed my stencil to make sure it was nice and stuck.

I stuck my thick piece of cardboard inside my shirt so the bleach wouldn't bleed through and ruin my creation! You can also use fabric paint for this, just follow the directions on the bottle.

I sprayed away with my water/bleach bottle. This will slightly unstick the stencil, so make sure if you're using bleach you're working on a flat surface.

Wait and wait and wait...and it will start to change!

Get really impatient and blow dry your shirt.

When it's fully dry, carefully peel off your stencil. If you're using fabric paint, don't let it dry fully, just let it set, otherwise it will stick and be a pain to remove.

And show off your totally personalized shirt! I love how the bleach made it slightly pink and little white! I was going to touch it up with a little bit of fabric paint, but I thought it turned out great!

What does this have to do with The Big Bang Theory? Well, my favorite character, Sheldon, says "bazinga." So what better way to dress up for a marathon of BBT? :) BAZINGA!!

I hope you try out this technique, it's super easy and such a great way to personalize your clothes to make them more you! And make sure to check out my "link parties" tab to see where I'm linking this up!




19 comments:

Kara @ Mine for the Making said...

I LOVE using freezer paper for stenciling! I have never even thought to use bleach/water though! Very clever!!!

Turned out super cute...nice job...very creative!

Kara

Lydia said...

Quite possibly the best shirt ever created. Great job!

Georgia Peach said...

Love your blog! And thanks for visiting mine too - come back anytime.

http://creationsbyageorgiapeach.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog! I am dropping by yours to return the favor! Cute shirt!!

http://funsavingmom.blogspot.com

Inspiring You To Save! said...

Such a great idea. I love that show but I haven't had time to watch it.

Thanks for linking up in the Meet Me Monday blog hop. I'm your newest follower. I hope to see you next week!

http://www.inspiringyou2save.com

Courtney said...

wow what an awsome idea!!!! I might have to try it myself:)

Jen @ EmbellishingLifeEveryday said...

Thanks for following! I'm now following you back :)

Beth said...

The bleach looks awesome, I like the look of it. And kudos on the stenciling job. I just did one for my hubby (in honor of The Office) with a Dwight Schrute quote, only I used black fabric paint on a dark blue shirt, so now I have to use some bleaching to make it show up better, and so he'll actually wear it. Out of curiosity how much was the water to bleach ratio?

kim west said...

love big bang and love this shirt!

Lisa said...

I saw "bazinga" and I knew exactly where that came from! I love that show! Cute shirt! Wear it for the new episode tomorrow : )

Unknown said...

love sheldon
love the shirt
love bazinga!!

Crystal said...

How fun! I love the this. Also I need to start watching that show. I saw an episode the other day and couldn't stop watching.

Lori@Paisley Passions said...

What a GREAT idea and wonderful tutorial! TFS on Thrilling Thursday @ Paisley Passions!

nichole said...

This is awesome. Stencils can get expensive so I sm excited to see this!

http://nicholesownspace.blogspot.com

Chris King said...

The most awsomest of all your crafts! Bazinga!

Stephanie-jean Life:SemiCrunchy said...

Love the bleach water idea! Found you through Mingle Monday!!!

www.life-semicrunchy.blogspot.com

Katie said...

Thank you for another cool project link at A Crafty Soiree! I love how it came out. The pink and white is really neat, I always think of bleaching being white so I would've been very surprised to see that! I really need to try freezer paper stencils. It's been on my list for a long time.

Katie said...

Thank you for another cool project link at A Crafty Soiree! I love how it came out. The pink and white is really neat, I always think of bleaching being white so I would've been very surprised to see that! I really need to try freezer paper stencils. It's been on my list for a long time.

Unknown said...

Love your tutorials!! I am your newest follower. Pinning this one for sure.

Come visit sometime at http://desperatehouselife.blogspot.com :)

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