At the request of my daughter (and my delight), we do a lot of projects. A lot. Some simple and some quite messy. And when things are going to get messy, mom insists on a smock – of sorts.
Ever the “green” mom instead of purchasing a smock for art projects, I rescued one of my husband’s old undershirts from the trash. Sure it has a few tiny holes, but for an over-sized smock that covers my daughter’s entire outfit it works great. The problem – the undershirt turned smock often gets mixed back in with my husband’s undershirts in the laundry.
The need to clearly differentiate K’s smock from the rest of the pack, lead to its own project – decorating an art smock.
Materials:
- Upcycled shirt, of any kind
- Crayola fabric pens
- Newspaper
- Iron
After sliding newspaper into the shirt (to prevent color from bleeding through), I let K loose on the shirt with the markers. Thrilled to be allowed to write on her shirt, after very clear rules about general marker usage, I sat back as she created her masterpiece.
While I waited, I also read the instructions on the package. Good thing too because the fabric markers are not officially set until you iron the design (inside out on a cool setting) then toss into the dryer (alone) for 30 minutes on medium. Zoinks that could have been a laundry disaster!
Once she was satisfied with her creation (at least for now), I set to work “setting” the design. I have a feeling this will be a work in progress and foresee future requests to add on to her smock. In the mean time, she has wearable art to protect her clothes from accidental art disasters that will no longer be mistake as just another undershirt.
(Note: Ironically, this project requires the use of two shirt smocks, one to decorate and one to wear while decorating. Because, of course, fabric markers are not washable!)
The Crayola fabric pens come in bright for darks. Although the pens we have are clearly intended for dark color fabrics, we used them with easy on a white t-shirt too.
This is an easy and fun project that is both green and practice too.
Giveaway – this giveaway has ended and the winner has been contacted.
Disclosure: The information, products and additional Crayola Back-to-School gift pack was provided by Crayola® through MyBlogSpark.
keely hostetter says
Some fun shirts or bags for my kids
Brittany K. says
I would make big brother/little brother shirts & let my sons decorate them. 🙂
Debra Hall says
Pillow cases are always fun
apple blossom says
cards
Jan Messali says
I’d like to create an art smock with my grandson.
Tonya Fullenkamp says
Shirts for kids. That’s going to be so fun!
Auri Lae says
We have a baby due in a few weeks – I’d decorate some clothes and bibs!
LaTanya says
a tee shirt
Danielle T says
I would let my daughter and son create their own tshirts!
christine jessamine says
i would love to have my kids create a fun art piece on a blanket
Tracie Trump says
Love to make tshirts, my fb is Michelle Trump and my email is [email protected]
Suzie says
I would do special t-shirts for the kiddos!
Danielle Royalegacy says
Probably a special shirt
Sarah says
I would help my girls decorate shirts, aprons, anything we can find really and then give the stuff we make to family for Christmas:D
Nina says
We’d personalize my son’s backpack!
Karen Medlin says
a tote bag for grandma for a holiday gift
Annmarie W. says
My daughter would love to use them to decorate some bandanas…and a swim bag!
Richard Morris says
customized t-shirts w/my daughter
Kristi C says
I would create some tees to wear to the childrens soccer games.
Sabrina M says
Make home coming shirts for when my husband comes home from deployments !! We love making these !!!
jen says
Thank you to you and your husband for your service.
carol says
I would give it to my grandkids to crate a t shirt of their own design
Kelly H. says
I would let my daughter design her own tote bag.
Caryn S says
A tote bag for our library books
Monique Rizzo says
Id let my daughter design some fun Christmas Tshirts.Thanks for the chance.
[email protected]
Melissa JN says
We want to make personalized fabric napkins for Thanksgiving!
jen says
What a cute idea!
Mary Happymommy says
We would create a pillowcase dress.
Ann Fantom says
I would let my daughter decorate her gymnastics practice T-shirt
Sabrina M says
Thank you !!
Nicole D. says
A fun tablecloth for the kids table at Thanksgiving!
beth shepherd says
We would design shirts for grandmas from the kids
Heidi says
I would create some tote bags with my girls.
Amy says
some t shirts to give as gifts to grandma she loves homemade things from the grandkids
Christine says
tee shirt
Donna L says
I would give it to my granddaughter to have fun with it.
Linda G. says
I would like to create a T shirt with my grandson
renee walters says
Customized t-shirts for my kid’s!
Anastasia says
The girls and I would make our own, custom t-shirts! 🙂
janice says
tote bags
Karen Gonyea says
Some cool pillow cases 🙂
Denise S says
I’d let the kids do tee shirts.
brittney says
shirts for school functions!
brittneydejajason at gmail dot com
Michelle Bryan says
a tote bag
Mary Beth Elderton says
My grands would have a lot of fun using the markers to decorate big t-shirts to sleep in.
carol gentry says
Christmas gifts for my grandkids
Jeni Lutz says
a t-shirt
Erica C. says
We would decorate tote bags.
McKim says
I would let the kids at my grandson’s birthday party each create a t-shirt.
Kristy Thiel says
we’d create a fun pillowcase!
Stephanie says
A fun night shirt for my daughter, she loves running around in her pajamas.
Jessica To says
I would have my son do a shirt for his grandparents.
Brittany Shifflett says
I’d have my daughter create her own design on a shirt. 🙂
Kelly L says
I’d let my girls make their own t-shirts. Thanks!
Ericka says
A Halloween shirt
Melanie says
I’d let my 4-year-old make her own shirt. She would love it!
Melanie Montgomery says
I’d make some customized tshirts.
freebies city says
a top for my little dude’s play
Harolde says
A beautiful T-shirt for our granddaughter.
amy deeter says
i would have my kids make some tshirts
Angela Cisco says
I’d let the kids design their own t-shirts
Kayla says
I’d make a new bag to carry my stuff in!
stony says
I’d decorate a new bag for the kids stuff
Samantha Meyer says
Some fun family t-shirts!
Noreen says
Decorate tote for Girl Scout meetings
Deb K says
I would let the grand-kiddies make t-shirts
Sarah says
Personalized tote bags
Amy DeLong says
some type of halloween tees
ardelong2(at)gmail(dot)com
Julie says
my daughter would like to decorate a tote
thanks
Ciara B. says
i would decorate some of my son’s clothes
Kelsey Little says
I would let my neice help me and we would make something for her 🙂
[email protected] dot com
tina page says
design an apron maybe for gma. the kids made one for me years ago and i adored it.
Tiffany says
I’d make tshirts with inside jokes for me and my friends
Chrissy Nestor says
I’d decorate T-Shirts with my daughter.
chrissylea1979 (at)gmail(dot) com
Mariah says
I would let my kids decorate an apron for Grandma for Christmas.
Nikki Thoresen says
a “Big Sister” shirt for my daughter and “Little Brother” shirt for her new baby brother. : )
jenny says
I would like my daughter to decorate a shirt
Karine Traverse says
I would let my girls decorate some of the shirt and pants they got stained and just have a fun craft day
kathy pease says
we would make tshirts for my sons basketball games
Beth Palacios says
I would give my daughter’s a blank T Shirt and let them design whatever their little hearts desire. 🙂
Laura Proctor Unger says
I think I’d get a plain white hat and let my son design whatever he wanted.
mary gardner says
i’d make t shirts with my kids
jagar0047 at yahoo dot com
shanta spradlin says
I would let my daughter design a shirt
Nicole N says
My 5 year old wants to be a fashion designer so I could let her go to town on a few white shirts.
carol lewis says
Christmas windows with the grandkids!
laura ari says
I costume for our Halloween parade.
Sarah Harding says
I think I’d have the kids make an apron for there dad
Sand says
I would make holiday tee shirts.
cynthia layton says
lots of t shirts