DIY: Stenciled Toddler Shirt

A few months before we were to head out to Pensacola (posts coming before the end of the year, promise) I decided I wanted to make Boston a few shirts to wear while on vacay.  One that would commemorate Boston's then upcoming 2nd birthday since we would be celebrating it while on our trip. So, my beady little brain started brainstorming.  It needed to say, "I'm Two" somehow some way.  Then I remembered seeing somewhere on Pintrest (unfortunately I didn't pin it) a few months prior a t-shirt that had sunglasses, a mustache and a hand with a peace sign.

I immediately knew that that "peace sign" would serve for the "2" on my shirt.  Make sense or did I loose you?

Once I purchased my tank tops from Wal-Mart, I started googling clip art images of my designs and googled a few blogs on how to make my own stencils to paint on the shirts.

Here's what I found out.  That you could actually use Reynold's Freezer Paper in your grocery store (I got mine from Wal-Mart) to use as a stencil that you can actually iron onto your shirt!  Reynolds = geniuses.  

After I printed out my hand, I traced it onto the freezer paper and cut out the hand which left the outside (stencil) for me to paint.

Next were my sunglasses, mustache and the "I'M 2."  I wasn't sure which style of sunglasses I wanted.  So I printed out 2 different ones, traced and cut them out and decided that I liked the aviator style better.

Once they were all cut out and stencil-like.....I laid the shiny part onto the shirt and ironed those babies. Making sure all of the inside part (the part where I'd be painting) was nice and sealed so no paint leakage would occur.  

Painting was the easy part....after picking out the colors I wanted to use.

Here they are in all their freezer-paper-stenciled-glory!

The hardest part: picking out the design.  The other stuff (tracing, cutting, ironing and painting) were really pretty easy.
The most time consuming part: tracing and cutting.  Once that's done, it's easy breezy.

Ohhh, one more thing.  I pre-washed my shirts.  In case they decided to shrink after they were washed with the paint on them.  Also, I don't put mine in the dryer.  I only let them air dry.

I'd love for you all to make a little something for your little ones!  If you do, please let me know, I'd love to see them.  :)

xo