These 4 DIY Tees Are *Literally* MADE for Your Squad
I’ll be honest — my love of lettered tees has always been a little conflicted. I love the humor of it all, but I always crave a little more individuality — for myself and for my fave ladies. There’s no reason that all these unique personalities should fit the same phrase, so that’s why I decided to make these DIY hand-lettered tees to show you exactly how easy it is to make your own workout tops, bachelorette gear and Sunday brunch wear. Nervous about your lettering skills? Check out Brush Calligraphy and Hand Lettering online classes, built for beginners and perfect for getting your lettering in tip top shape for all sorts of DIYs down the road.
Materials:
— plain tees/tanks (we got ours at H&M!)
— fabric paint
— paintbrushes
— painter’s tape
— Sharpie marker
— cardboard
Instructions:
1. Put a piece of cardboard inside your plain tee and tape the neckline to the cardboard to keep it in place.
2. Using lines of tape as your guides, draw in the basic outline of your letters in sharpie.
3. Paint over your sharpie letters in fabric paint.
4. Let dry for four hours before wearing and 72 hours before machine washing inside out.
Grab a few plain tees, tanks, long sleeves and the rest of your supplies, and let’s get lettering.
I always like to test out some phrases and lettering styles on a piece of paper first. Once you’ve decided on a design for your first tee, fill it with cardboard and tape the neckline in place. Next, place a long strip of tape where you want your first word to sit and pen it in with Sharpie. Note: This does NOT have to be perfect! You can mess up all you want with the Sharpie because you’ll be covering it with fabric paint in just a sec.
Grab your paint and brushes and start following along your Sharpie lines. I always like to start with a thinner line of paint and then thicken it up afterwards. Let the paint dry completely for four hours before use and 72 hours before machine washing inside out.
For this second tank, I wanted to show how you can cover up some not-so-plain shirts too! Just as you did before, write out your phrase in Sharpie before you whip out the paint. To cover this line of printed text, I chose a cursive font, because it will always connect at that bottom line, making it so much easier to hide those pesky printed letters. Add some extra thickness to your painted letters to cover up every bit of the original text. Lastly, we added some skinny letters in Sharpie and repeated these two text lines for a total of four lines.
After your tanks are dry, get your squad together for a workout sesh! B+C’s Channel Marketer and self-proclaimed candy addict Vic is rockin’ the “crunches and brunches” long-sleeve tee, perfect for all kinds of Sunday morning activities.
DIY Designer and hardcore Beyoncé enthusiast Kelly is runnin, runnin, runnin, runnin all the way to some chicken and waffles (fun fact — this is her actual fave)!
Brand Partnership Planner and hilarious cat mom Paige has her eye on the prize. Hint: It’s bubbly and delicious and best served with a Benedict.
Visual Designer Marisa is straight up killin’ it, from dominating the dance floor in hip-hop class (seriously guys, she’s a dancing MACHINE) to getting rezzies at the most poppin’ spots in town.
How freaking cute are my coworkers?!
2016’s answer to the Spice Girls has arrived.
All this hard work deserves a mimosa or two, don’t you think? CHEERS!
What will you make for your squad? Post your pics on Instagram using the hashtag #iamcreative and tag us @BritandCo.
DIY Production and Styling: Lee Schellenberger
