Create an Independence Day T-Shirt

Treat yourself and your family to fabulous shirts to wear for the Fourth of July this year! Children will love to get involved in creating their own designs for their shirts, and designing them for everyone else too! What could be more fun than for the whole family to be sporting original patriotic shirts at the festivities this year, whether it is the town parade, the family barbecue, or the evening fireworks at the park!


T-shirt painting is a craft that almost anyone can do, and it’s lots of fun. So if you’re lacking Independence Day apparel, why not get out the fabric paint and make yourself a patriotic tee? Or better yet, get the family together and let everyone make their own!


There are many ways you could design your Independence Day t-shirt. In general, you’ll need a plain white t-shirt, a t-shirt board or piece of stiff cardboard to place inside the shirt, newspapers, fabric paint and a paintbrush. Before you begin, wash the shirt and do not use fabric softener. Dry and stretch the shirt onto the board to keep it straight and prevent paint from soaking through to the other side.

Fireworks Design Instructions

To make a fireworks t-shirt, use fabric paint in a squeeze bottle. For each firework design, draw a horizontal line in the color of your choice with a break in the middle (in other words, two short lines of the same length side by side). Then make a vertical line that intersects with the horizontal one, again with a break in the middle. This will look like a plus sign with the middle removed. Use another color to make an X in the same manner, but make the lines slightly shorter. Add some dots at the end of each line to finish.

Stars and Stripes Design

Extra Supplies Needed

• Masking tape
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Star-shaped sponge or foam stamp
• Rectangular sponge or foam stamp
• Plastic plate, bowl or lid

Directions

1. Stick a strip of masking tape across the shirt from seam to seam, starting just below the neck opening. Place another strip below that one, overlapping slightly. Repeat until you have taped off a stripe approximately 1 ¾ inches wide.
2. Measure 1 ¾ inches below the stripe you made, and make a light mark with the pencil. Make another stripe just like the first one.
3. Continue placing stripes of tape 1 ¾ inches apart all the way to the bottom of the shirt.
4. Put some red paint in a plastic plate, bowl or lid. Dip the rectangular sponge into the paint, and dab it onto the areas that are not taped off. When finished, let the paint dry completely.
5. Put some blue paint into a plastic plate, bowl or lid. Dip the star-shaped sponge into the paint, and press it carefully onto the shirt anywhere you like. Pull straight up when removing to avoid smudging.
6. Continue adding stars to the shirt as you like. When finished, let dry.  Remove the masking tape.

If you’re particularly artistic, you could try your hand at a Statue of Liberty t-shirt. If you’d rather not paint, try using markers! For a different twist, make a tie-dyed Fourth of July shirt with red and blue dye. For your children's safety you may want to try your hand at creating your tie-dye with food coloring or Kool-Aid! Use your imagination and create a patriotic tee that’s as individual as you are!