We're taking you to school this Sunday!

Good morning Crafty Stealers!

We’ve decided to do something new on the Crafty Steals blog.  We’re going to start making every Sunday a time to learn.  Maybe we’ll post about a new project we’re working on, a tool we love to use, or a fun technique we’ve learned.  Beyond scrapping and paper-crafting, we’ll also talk about photography tips (sometimes learning lessons from professionals, organizing hints, and any other topics that we think (or you tell us!) you’d like to hear about.  So from now on, you are going to Sunday School!

First up is a project that I mentioned in the Super Bowl post last week: using freezer paper to make stencils for T-shirts.  It is so easy, and you can do it with or without special cutting tools.

Here’s how!

1.  If you don’t already have some in your pantry (I didn’t!), head to your grocery store and get some freezer paper. I found this roll of Reynold’s Freezer Paper in the aisle with the plastic wrap and foil.  Why freezer paper? The special thing about freezer paper, is that it has a light plastic coating on one side that, once ironed, sticks to fabric – without leaving a mess when removed (and removes very easily).

2.  Cut out your design on the freezer paper.  I used a Silhouette SD for my designs (the “Future Cowboy” is for my son, the football for my daughter).  You can also use a Cricut.  Just cut the freezer paper to a size that will fit on a cutting mat, and stick it to the mat shiny side down.  If you don’t have an electronic die-cutter you could draw or trace a design onto the paper and cut it out.  You could even use punches to make your desired design.

3.  Place the freezer paper, shiny side down, on your t-shirt in the desired location and iron the paper for a few seconds (use a heat setting that will work for the material). Make sure to remember the little pieces to complete letters (like O or B)!

4.  Use fabric paint to paint over the stencil.  Depending on the material, paint and how dark you want your color, you may need to do a second coat of paint.  I did two coats with my son’s shirt and only one with my daughter’s (to give it a little bit of a worn in look).

5. When the paint is finished drying, remove the stencil. It removes easily and cleanly!

6.  You can now add any embellishments you’d like as well – bling, flowers, ribbons, buttons, whatever you can think of! (I just HAD to bling my daughter’s football!)

It seems that the only limit to using freezer paper stencils is your imagination! You could make pillows, decorate canvas bags or shoes, hats, and so much more! If you are already an expert at this technique, let us know what you have done, or better yet, show us some pictures on our Crafty Steals Facebook page!

Hope you had a good morning at our Crafty Steals Sunday School.  Next week we’ll be learning a way to get more out of your photo prints using some free software and a few minutes of time!

Happy Crafting!