Spray Painted T-Shirts

I found this idea in a spring edition of Disney Family Fun magazine. It is online here. The basic idea is that you cut a shape out of contact paper, and you use that shape to resist paint on fabric. I wanted to adapt this idea for a craft project my daughter and her friends could make at her 4th birthday party. The shirts were the favors each child took home, so I personalized them with each child's initial. Look at the website for details and instructions, and read more below for specifics of my version.

Just like they did in the magazine, I cut shapes from clear contact paper. Instead of animals, I cut negative shape initials for each child who was attending the party. We adhered the contact paper to the center front of each shirt. I enlisted help from my brother-in-law who expertly assembled a low clothesline in the backyard. We hung all the shirts with a thin piece of cardboard inside. Each child's name was visibly pinned to the hem of the shirt so they knew which shirt to spray.

After looking for a while for small spray bottles at craft stores, I found about 20 perfect little ones at a beauty supply store (thanks Mom for suggesting that I look there!). I bought an assortment of colored fabric paint at Michael's and diluted each color at a ratio of 2 to 3 parts paint to 1 part water in a bottle.

Here are a few of the finished projects before removing the stencil:

Some Tips:
The shirts that came out the best were those with fewer colors. Also, the paint bled under the stencil at the bottom, as so much paint dripped over the surface of the contact paper and collected at the edge. The more clear letters came about by spraying from a greater distance. Below you can see where the paint collected and bled, though this one is one of the more clear, as is the A shirt at the top of this post. I think removing the stencil as promptly as possible would limit the amount of paint that dripped down.

This is a little step-by-step view of the birthday girl working on her shirt. She got a little color happy, as she often does.

The clothesline at the end of the day:

Kids' Stationery

I love using my kids' artwork to make their stationery. When my younger daughter turned one this spring I set about helping her generate enough work to make a set of thank you notes. You've seen a similar project here. The only difference is that this time the art was made by cutting small pieces from a huge finger painted piece of butcher block paper.

If you haven't ever done this with your kids, I highly recommend it. Cover a tile floor with plastic sheeting or garbage bags. Tape the plastic to the floor around the edges. Lay out a large piece of plain white paper. I use a section from a roll of easel paper. Ikea carries these rolls, and they're really inexpensive.

I love the crayola children's paint. It is really washable, and comes in a box of ten or twelve colors. The washability is key, as you should be prepared for a bit of a mess.
It all starts out neatly enough...
But suddenly isn't so neat anymore.
We always do this with as little clothing on as possible, and pop the kids right in the bath when they're done.

Then make the cards the same old way, just sewing the art onto plain notecards. This set got jazzed up by brightly colored mats.
A few of these cards were so beautiful I couldn't send them off. Maybe I'll frame them to enjoy as the works of art they are. Who knew the amazing work that could come from finger painting?

Fig Salad

It's been a while since I've posted anything new here. The summer has been busy and wonderful, and full of projects and adventures. So full, in fact, that I've just had time to collect photos and drafts, but not time to post. If you're one of the two people who regularly check to see what's new, here's a mini post to ease back into things.I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure the fruit has been better this year than most. The berries are sweeter, the pluots juicier, and I suddenly have even started to almost enjoy bananas. Last week, when I spotted these figs at our supermarket, I was so excited to make one of our favorite summer salads. I couldn't decide which color fig to buy, so I chose a few of each. I think the purple ones had a slightly better texture, but the color combination was really pretty so I'd mix it up again.Quarter the figs. Drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil and some freshly ground black pepper. Roast in a 375 degree oven until soft and a bit browned on the edges.In the meantime, thinly slice a red onion and saute in a hot skillet with the tiniest bit of olive oil. Let the onions carmelize. When they are nicely browned, add a generous dousing of balsamic vinegar. Still continuously as the vinegar reduces to create a thicker fluid and coat the onions.Arrange a large handful of arugula on a plate. Top with hot figs and onions. Dress the salad with a few additional drops of the thickened vinegar. Top with crumbled goat cheese and fresh black pepper.
Yum. It's even good as leftovers, just reheat the figs and onions before making the salad again.

Ok, draft one complete. On to the next adventure.