{Berry Sweet} Marker T-Shirts

A few weeks ago, I shared this tutorial over at Five Days Five Ways and today I'm sharing it with you guys! This project takes me back to my summer camp craft days, but in a good way... haha! A while back, I saw some adorable tea towels that Heather at Setting for Four made by tracing an image with a plain black Sharpie! I thought, hey maybe that would work with a white t-shirt. So I busted out these "berry sweet" t-shirts {made with sharpies and fabric markers.}

My daughter was happy to model her new threads!

I decided to make matching outfits for our daughters... they were so cute wearing them together when we went on vacation a few weeks ago. {Of course, we didn't get one picture!} For Anna, I made the "berry sweet" design, and for Nat's daughter, Bella, I made "berry cute." I started with a simple pattern:

{fonts} berry: the only exception, cute: bebas

Here's what you'll need:

• plain white shirt {mine is Garanimals from Walmart, $3}
• fine black Sharpie... {they also have some cool new fabric markers}
• fabric markers in desired colors {mine are Fashion Fabric Markers from JoAnn's}
• printed pattern

{1} Place the pattern underneath the top layer of your t-shirt {2} Make sure it is centered, then start tracing carefully with your black Sharpie. After all of the letters are outlined, fill in with a fabric marker. It is easy to use because the tip is shaped like a brush and distributes the color nicely. {3} Continue tracing your design. For the "berry" I used a chisel tip fabric marker. It worked well for precision and adding a little extra thickness to the letters. {4} Let your design dry completely before you wash. (Oh, and you should "heat set" the design by throwing it in the dryer before you wash it.)

*Another tip: Pin your pattern in place!

These were SO simple to make, and now my boys want to make some too {with Star Wars and Pokemon!} Think of all the ways you could customize these :) I love that I was able to make a custom outfit for less than $10!

I got the little chambray skirt at Target for $5, and the adorable strawberry {iron-on} applique at JoAnn's on clearance for 50 cents!! The shirt was only $3, plus the cost of my markers. Can't beat that for some cute summer play clothes!

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