Learn how you can do Hand Lettering on fabric with fabric paint and make your own custom T-shirt that is one of a kind! You can letter your name, state, team or favorite phrase, think of the possibilities!
Once you learn Lettering on fabric with fabric paint you could also make these T shirts as gifts for your family and friends. The holiday gift giving season is about to begin and these T shirts can be personalized easily.
Just last night I realized I had signed up to volunteer in my daughter’s classroom for their Halloween party. I planned on wearing my favorite Halloween T shirt but I couldn’t find it anywhere today! So me being me of course, I decided to DIY my own T shirt instead of going shopping.
I immediately knew that I wanted to try lettering on fabric, but that’s all I had planned. I searched in my craft room and pulled out supplies to use and got started. I haven’t tried this technique before, but in my head it seemed to be easy- and I decided to film it to share with all of you.
Watch the Video Tutorial:
So here we go, lettering on fabric or your T-Shirt using fabric paint is very satisfying! Watch the video by clicking on the video box below or head over to my YouTube channel. Enjoy!
disclaimer: affiliate links have been used. This means that if you make a purchase I might earn a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Lettering on fabric: What you will need
A T-shirt: I picked up a basic grey Gildan T shirt for this project today but you could easily try this technique on a shirt you might already own. I want to next try this on a few shirts my kids have. T shirts these days are generally preshunk so I did not wash mine before painting.
Fabric Paint: I used dimensional fabric paint and I would recommend that you use that too. They come in so many colors these days! It is quicker to letter with the nozzle on these paint bottles and the project gets done under 15 minutes. You can also use a paint brush + fabric paints if you already own these. Or Fabric Markers!
Light box: I am using my Cricut Bright pad today, and it is so compact and light to use! I have previously shown more about it in this tutorial here.
Lettering on fabric Tips and Tricks:
You can pin the paper template to the t shirt to prevent it from shifting while you painting
I used dimensional fabric paint today because I had that in my stash already. You could do this with a basic fabric paint + paint brush as well for a dimensionless look.
If you are painting with fabric paints, simply place a layer of cling wrap or clear tape on top of the template before tracing.
If you don’t have a light box, use a dress makers pencil to sketch your design onto the T shirt first and then go over it with paint
Make sure to wipe the nozzle of your dimensional paint ever so often to avoid a gunky build up.
Generally, you want to heat set your fabric painted area by using a hot iron on the wrong side.
Also, always try to hand wash your garment after fabric painting on it. It just ensures that the paint lasts longer.
Free Template Download:
So in the video you see me use a hand lettered template for “Happy Halloween” and as promised here is the downloadable versions for you. You can easily resize this to be smaller (for a Kids T shirt) by reducing the size from 100% to say 65% in the print box. I hope you enjoy lettering on fabric!
Wow! You’re amazing! Great communicating and so creative! Thank you!
Glad you found the tutorial useful Joy! 😊
Love your lettering and tips!
Thank you!