ILovetoCreate Teen Crafts Falling Leaves T-Shirt

Avalon has a fab new project this week for ILoveToCreate! She did such a great job with this from concept to execution and her dad helped her since Mom's been a little busy with the new job. I'm endlessly proud of her. Just a quick FYI...I'll be debuting on Jewelry Television's Jewel School tomorrow sharing three fun, fast and fashionable projects from 9am until noon EST. If you don't get Jewelry Television, you can watch the show streaming live on their website.

Falling Leaves T-shirt ILovetoCreate Project Copyright Avalon Potter 2010

Once again I bring you another fun, easy and stylish project using ILovetoCreate products. This past week I’ve seen the leaves falling outside and the beautiful colors surrounding me, and when I saw the Tulip fabric sprays and foam leaves in the local craft store I knew exactly what my project would be. I would make a shirt inspired by the leaves scattered all over the ground using fall themed Tulip fabric sprays and glitter. I had a great time making this project with my dad, we really had some quality time together making this and I hope you will have just as much fun.

Materials:
Cotton tee (white and prewashed to remove sizing)
Foam shapes( doesn’t have to be leaves)
Three or more tulip fabric sprays
Tulip glitter dimensional fabric paint in silver
Tulip craft sponge
Double sided tape
Tulip fashion form

Instructions:
1. First gather all your materials, then take you shirt and put it on your tulip fashion form.


2. Next lay out were you want your foam shapes to go, you the size, shape or amount you use depends on what you want to do.

3. Attach your shapes with double sided tape and make sure all of your corners are down because you don’t want excess fabric spray leaking under your shapes and deforming the way they will turn out.


4. Make sure you cover the area underneath the shirt to prevent getting any spray on the floor! Then one by one spray around and on your foam shapes you can leave white in areas but I filled mine in with glitter.


5. Let the paint dry then the next day take of the foam shapes and apply the glitter paint with a sponge on the white spots where the foam shapes were.

ILoveToCreate Teen Crafts: Anchor's Away Necklace T-Shirt

Anchors Away T-Shirt
Margot Potter for ILoveToCreate Teen Crafts
“Mom crafted, kid approved.”

I have a long standing love for all things nautical and am a particular fan of the French sailor look. I’ve been wearing variations of it for years. Avalon and I went shopping this weekend and she kept fawning over necklace embellished t’s and stripey sailor style tops. Thusly these concepts came together and this idea started formulating in my creative noggin.

You can change this up to suit your style and ditch the nautical theme for a rocker tattoo inspired look or a prim and proper girly look with flowers and pearls. You’ll just need a pre-made stencil (check out the Tulip Fashion Graffiti line) or a permission free image you can size and print to create your own. Tulip fabric paints and Aleene’s Fabric Fusion will help bring your idea to life. Then just sew on some jump rings and attach some chains to make a removable faux necklace look.

Materials
Striped Cotton T-Shirt Pre-Washed
Permission Free Anchor Image sized to fit scale of shirt
Tulip Slick Red Fabric Paint
Folder or thick cardstock for Stencil
Aleene’s Fabric Fusion
Sewing thread (I used red to match the anchor)
Beadalon SP Rolo Chain
2 Swivel Lobster Clasps
3 SP 10mm jump rings
2 SP 6mm jump rings
Scrapbook Adhesives EZ-Runner Tape Runner
Offray Nice and Narrow black satin ribbon with polka dots

Tools
Craft Knife
Cutting Board
Foam Brush
Sewing Needle
Sewing Scissors
2 Pairs Chain Nose Pliers

1. Select image. If you are making your own stencil, size it to fit scale of shirt. Print image.

2. Attach image with EZ-Runner to thick cardstock or a manilla folder. Use craft knife to cut out stencil.
Leave a bar or two around the anchor hole at the top so you don’t lose that hole when you stencil.

3. Use foam brush to stencil image on shirt on the left side. Allow to dry. Remove stencil.

4. Create a tiny bow and adhere to top of anchor with Aleene’s Fabric Fusion. Allow to dry.

5. Sew the large jump rings to the top seams on either side of the neckline of your shirt. Sew a third large jump ring to the top of the anchor on the left side of shirt.

6. Drape chains to find best length and attach the ends to lobster clasps on both sides using a small jump ring and two pairs of chain nose pliers. Thread the longer chain through the jump ring at the top of your anchor.  Attach a second chain length that is slightly shorter to the jump ring at the bottom of your clasps. Remove chains when washing garment.

Free Teen Craft Project Pretty in Pink T-shirt Margot Potter for I Love to Create

Pretty in Pink Altered T-Shirt
Click on image to view close up!

This swanky top began life as a Fruit of the Loom boy’s value pack t-shirt. My daughter was mortified when I stood in the middle of the boy’s aisle at the store store and suggested OUT LOUD that we buy them and decorate them for her to wear. Can you imagine?

What is the fun of being a parent if you can’t humiliate your kid in public?

All joking aside...I wanted something with a more generous cut so I had more fabric with which to work. I always have a plan, even if it appears evil to my tortured teen.

Mwahahahahaha...

That was my evil parent laugh.

Okay then...here’s the project!
Pretty in Pink Altered T-shirt
Teen Craft Project
Margot Potter for I Love to Create

Materials
Fruit of the Loom bulk pack white boy’s t-shirt
Black grosgrain ribbon ½” thick
3 safety pins
Tulip Fabric Spray Paint Hot Pink, Soft Pink, Violet Pink
Tulip Metallics Dimensional Fabric Paint Black
Crafty Chica Glitter Be Bop Black
Aleene’s Stop Fraying
Complements Border Stencil Graceful
ToolsStencil brush
Bubble wrap
Fabric scissors
T-shirt form or cardboard insert to slide between tshirt layers while decorating
Heat tool

1. Pre-wash t-shirt. Slide your t over an insert or a form. This prevents the paints from seeping on to the back of your shirt.

2. Use your fingers to scrinkle the shirt on the left side. Spray a thin wash of each color, don’t overspray! Work paint from left to right, making coverage less dense on the right side.


3. Rescrinkle (it’s suggested that you wear gloves for this step.) Paint another thin wash of your colors. Allow to dry.

4. Pour black fabric paint on bubble wrap...spread with brush.
5. Dab on t, filling in the center of the spray painted areas. Allow to dry.

6. Place stencil on an angle across painted part of t.

7. Use stencil brush to apply black paint through stencil, dabbing the brush as you work to prevent paint from slipping under stencil.

8. While paint is still wet and stencil is still on your shirt. Pinch glitter on wet paint and gently rub in with your finger. Use a heat tool to adhere glitter, don't overheat or you'll melt your stencil! Remove stencil after paint has dried.

9. Cut neckline from shirt, leaving a 1” border on each shoulder. Cut along the top seam on the right border.

10. Use safety pins to secure this closed.

11. Cut along the top of each sleeve working up to the seam.

12. Cut a small slit on each side of the opening on the bottom of each sleeve.

13. Thread with a ribbon, tie ribbon and cut ends on the diagonal.

14. Cut a small slit on each side of the seam at the shoulder on the left side. Thread and tie another ribbon..

15. Use Aleene’s Stop Fraying on ribbon ends and allow to dry. Remove ribbons and safety pins when washing shirt.