I've seen tutorials all over the internet about making a cheater screen print using butcher paper. My girlfriend Kelly and I have been wanting to make them for a long time, so we finally got together yesterday to make some. It was so easy, and fun. I might just be hooked. (Yeah, like I need yet another thing to add to the list!) At least this one benefits the males in the family. Haddon has 3 'new' shirts to wear now, and he would love more. I've got some in the works for Ellie and Joel too. Since it was so easy, I thought I'd share the how.
You need:
* Your desired plain shirt, washed and dried without fabric softener
* access to clipart, or scanned images designed by you, or a Cricut cutter
* butcher paper, also known as freezer paper. This has a papery side, and a shiny side.
* an exacto knife
* old magazines to cut the design out on
* iron and ironing board
* fabric paint
* brushes
* blowdryer
1. You need to get your design onto the butcher paper. Keep in mind that if you're hand cutting the design, the simpler the design, the easier it will be to cut out. Either trace it onto the paper by hand, or cut your butcher paper to the size of your printer paper,and print out your design on the butcher paper.
2. Place your butcher paper design on top of an old magazine, and cut out the design using the exacto knife. Keep in mind which part you will want to iron onto your shirt. Will you want the cutout painted, or the negative space around it? Take your time cutting, as any mistakes will show up in your final product. Also, be sure to save any small design elements such as a window cutout, or tire center. *I discovered that the shadow function on my cricut worked REALLY well and quickly to design and cut, it let me skip #1 & 2!
3. Iron your stencil onto your shirt, being careful to center and space it properly. 30 seconds on high is all it takes - just press hard and hold in one spot. It should be firmly attached around the edges. This is important so that the paint doesn't bleed under the edges. Repeat if needed.
4. Paint a thin layer of fabric paint onto your stencil, making sure your brushstrokes go from the paper onto the fabric. This will help cut down on any bleeding, and keep the line sharp. Use the blowdryer to dry quickly, and then apply another thin layer of paint so that the surface area is covered thoroughly. Dry using the blowdryer. Once the paint is dry to the touch, peel off the butcher paper.
5. If you are layering colors, make sure your paint is dry, and then just iron the second stencil over the top. Move the iron quickly so as not to scorch the paint. Then follow step 4 again with the new stencil.
5. At this point, make sure your paint really is dry. Once it is, place a clean cloth over the surface, and iron for about a minute on High, to set the design. I'm told this makes it more sturdy for washing and drying.
6. Voila! Wear and impress all of your friends when they ask where you got it!
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