How To: DIY Graphic T-shirt

I've seen so many adorable graphic tees lately! Maybe because its so hot, and I'm nine months pregnant, but the idea of a comfy t-shirt that is also cute is pretty appealing. ;) I especially like the "Mama Bear" apparel I've come across. 

I ordered a loose flowy t-shirt to wear home from the hospital once our baby arrives. It is so soft and comfortable, but plain white. I decided to make it into my own graphic tee! 

This method takes some time to paint, but it is simple, and you can add any graphic in any color you wish!

You will need:

White Cotton T-shirt

Fabric Paint in Desired Color

Fine Paint Brush

Graphic printed out on 8.5x11" paper or hand drawn

Sharpie (If  drawing your own graphic)

1. A white t-shirt works best to trace the graphic. Also, avoid very thick material. On a sheet of 8.5x11" computer paper, draw out your design, or print whatever phrase you'd like in your favorite font from the computer. 

If you are drawing your design, make sure you have dark black lines so they are visible to trace. 

2. Place the design inside the t-shirt facing up. Make sure it is centered and in the location on the shirt you desire your graphic to appear. 

3. Using a fine brush, carefully trace the outline of the graphic onto the shirt. Fabric is a slightly more difficult surface to than paper to paint on, so just be careful and patient. :)

4. Once your graphic is traced onto the t-shirt, fill it in with paint. Leave the paper inside the shirt to keep the paint from bleeding to the back of the t-shirt. I decided to keep my lettering as negative space, which is a little more difficult. You could easily reverse this and paint the lettering leaving the bear white. 

Be sure to apply the paint thick enough to cover any transparency. Mine took 2 coats. 

5. Allow the paint to dry, then remove the paper. Your t-shirt is ready to wear! Wash according to fabric paint instructions. 

My bag is almost completely packed for the hospital! Now we just wait for this little one to make an appearance. :) I'm sure I will be glad to have this comfy t-shirt post delivery. 

The "Mama Bear" graphic was a little bit more complicated of a design. You can go as simple as you'd like and still have an adorable graphic tee! I used this same method to create a graphic t-shirt for my friend during her wedding weekend. I just used a design of cursive lettering. 

Now, I kind of just want to add phrases to everything! You can check out graphic pencil bags here as well. :) What is your favorite trending phrase? 

Ladies Night Out Art Class

This month I had the opportunity to host and teach my first Ladies Night Out Art Class! I teach Elementary art classes and private art lessons throughout the school year. Some friends have mentioned that they would love to learn more about how I do some of my work, so I thought it would be fun to try an adult class as well! 

We had a awesome time! I am so happy we had such a great turn out. I held the class on a Friday evening in my home. We did two art projects that touched on two different art skills. There was also plenty of eating and chatting, so basically it was a party. ;)

Each lady had a seat set up with all her supplies and marked with a personalized watercolor journal. Upon arriving, everyone found their seats and started visiting and eating. 

The first project we worked on was a marbled watercolor State painting. Each person let me know which State, or Country she wanted to paint beforehand while signing up for the class. I had each State/Country printed out and included in the materials. I loved seeing all the different places each lady chose that means something to her. It was awesome to see all the different color schemes that were chosen. 

These all turned out beautiful!

The second project was a personalized wooden sign featuring each lady's take on modern calligraphy.  Each seat included a guide with the alphabet and a sheet to practice writing the last name. The ladies also chose the color wood they preferred upon signing up for the class. This is one of my favorite projects! I loved the creativity each person had, and how some wrote something completely different than their names!

Each attendee went home with a bag that included one of our "thank you" cards, chocolate, her watercolor journal, and the hardware to hang her wooden sign at home. We also had a drawing giving away 3 of our graphic phrase pencil bags full of more goodies. ;)

I loved having this class and the opportunity to be creative with so many amazing ladies! I am excited to host another class in the Fall. To follow along with the Ladies Night Art Classes on Instagram, check out #lnoartclass. Be sure to tag #lnoartclass in any photos you share from the night!

What art skills would you like to take a class on?

Basil Infused Lemon Italian Ice

Being 9 months pregnant in the middle of July is hot. Actually, at this point in the summer, its just hot whether you're prego or not! :) I have been eating watermelon like crazy, but the last few days I started craving something cold and lemony. Lemon Italian ice hit the spot. 

It is so easy to make, the hardest part was waiting for it to frozen enough to dig in. By the middle of the afternoon, it was ready to save me from the heat!

You will need:

2 cups water

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup lemon juice (takes approximately 4 large lemons)

Peel of 1 lemon

1 sprig of basil

1. Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan stirring occasionally. 

2. Once the water boils, remove from heat, and stir in lemon juice. Drop in basil sprig and lemon peel  whole. Let infuse while syrup cools to room temperature.

3. When the syrup is cooled down to room temperature, remove the basil and lemon peel. Pour the syrup into a small bread loaf pan and place in the freezer. 

4. Every 45-60 min, stir your ice. After the first 45 min, when a solid began forming, I "raked" the ice with a fork each time. This will create a fluffy even consistency of Italian ice as it freezes rather than leaving you with a sticky ice cube to eat. After raking the ice, spread it back out evenly before returning to the freezer. 

Freeze for about 3-4 hours or until the ice is solidified to your preference. Scoop with an ice cream scoop and serve!

This was so refreshing! If you don't enjoy basil flavor, leave it out and go all lemon. :) Yes, I did devour this in my new favorite thrifted glass in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon.

 It was wonderful. ;)

How are you cooling off these days?