Homemade Valentines t-shirts for kiddos by kiddos

Let me first admit, these shirts are two stolen ideas put together. The first is from my extremely creative sister who made adorable name shirts with bias tape for the youngest twins first birthday. I just love the originality! The second is the painted doily idea from Ashley Ann Photography blog. I made a tote bag from her tutorial that has quickly become my favorite from her instructions. Thanks Paige and Ashley Anne!

With that said, I feel ready to start with some Valentine's Day shirts:

1. Apply a little spray adhesive to the back of the doily and stick it to the shirt. Let the kiddos sponge on the paint. No matter how many time I let them know the center didn't have to be covered, they insisted in painting the whole thing. :) My kiddos used a sponge brush, but any type of brush would do the job.  Put a little cardboard in the shirt to ensure the paint stays only on the front side.

Since boy's don't do doilys we modified the project for the only male of our trio. Using construction paper we cut out hearts and applied spray glue to the bottom side and set him loose.

2. Peel the doily off (the shirt looked like this). As you can tell there are a few imperfections around the edge, but I think it just adds to the childish charm.

Below was my first attempt at he Paige bias tape letters. This time the mistake didn't add so much charm. :) Turns out I should have gotten a tutorial from the creator before I tried to copy. :) Try number two was much better, but still look forward to having Paige show me a few tricks I think she has up her sleeve :)

1. Using tailor's chalk draw the letter or name you plan to add.
2. Fold bias tape in half (or purchase thin bias tape) and slowly stitch the tape over the chalk using a straight stitch.

The boy's shirt is read to wear after painting. If you want to stick with paint only for the girl's shirts, use the construction paper method to add a heart in the middle of the doily once it is dry.

I can't wait to see all the variations you come up with. Please leave me a comment with a link to any new creations your family enjoyed making. :) Happy stenciling, sewing, and Valentine's Day.