diy pride t-shirt (+ free stencil!)

Happy LGBTA Pride month, you guys! For this tutorial I've partnered up with the ever-fashionable Emily of That Cheap Bitch to bring you TWO tutorials for the price of one! Emily came to me with the idea to create t-shirts that showed our pride without infringing upon our sense of fashion. Check out Emily's awesome take on being out & proud using chic geometric patterns. Gah. 

For my pride tee I decided to use the ever-catchy West Side Story lyrics from the song "I Feel Pretty." I know Maria's intent was to express her glee when she belted out these lyrics, but we'll just pretend she was secretly singing about an undercover love-affair with Anita ("There's a place for us... somewhere a place for us..." I mean, c'mon guys. Not fooling anyone). I like how clean & simple this shirt came out. Plus it's way better than the first idea I had (it's so bad, but the shirt was going to say "I Can See Queerly Now." So bad, you guys).

To make this statement tee, you'll need:

• "Pretty Witty & Gay" stencil template (click to download page one & page two) 

• White t-shirt

• X-acto knife

• Dura-Lar (also known as mylar)

• Masking tape

• Black acrylic paint

• Foam brush

• A cutting surface (either a cutting mat or a piece of cardboard)

• A large piece of cardboard (for putting in between your shirt so the paint doesn't transfer to the back)

Step 1. // Print out the stencil template (pages one & two). Tape the two pieces of the stencil together, lining up the dashed lines on the edges (you'll have to either bend back or cut off the excess paper on one side). Tape the stencil template to your cutting surface. Tape one piece of Dura-Lar on top of your stencil template. 

Step 2. // Using an x-acto knife, cut along the black lines of the letters on the stencil template, cutting through the Dura-Lar in the process. Go slow, breathe, & take your time. Always cut away from yourself, never towards! 

Step 3. // Before using your stencil, prep your shirt by sliding a large piece of cardboard up inside the shirt. This protects the back of the shirt from paint. Lay your stencil in the center of your t-shirt, & tape in place.

Step 4. // Using a foam brush, lightly apply black acrylic paint to the negative areas of the stencil. Don't glob on the paint or it will bleed. Use a dabbing motion with the foam brush rather than a sweeping motion. When you add paint to your foam brush, apply the first dab to a surface other than the shirt (the stencil, cardboard, etc.) to prevent applying too much paint at once. Dab the paint on evenly, building up slowly until you've reached a rich, even black color.

Step 5. // Set the shirt aside to dry. After the paint has completely dried, heat-set with a dry iron on a cotton setting. Further heat-set by running in the dryer for about 10-15 minutes.

Fun fact: "I Feel Pretty" has been stuck in my head for like two weeks now. 

Happy Pride month!

xoxo,

-m.e.

// Amazon is an affiliate sponsor of WeCanMakeAnything. This is not a sponsored post. //

Related // Let's keep this stenciling party going with tea towels.