Branchy Tree T-shirt
Wednesday, September 19, 2012 at 8:45AM 
Halloween is still several weeks away, but I couldn't resist sharing this super simple and fun T-shirt!
This project came in just under $3, but if you already have a T-shirt, you could do it for no cost! My kind of project!!!:) The idea I had was to create a branchy tree with a moon in the background, and an owl on a branch.(My little guy loves owls. Remember?!)
Supplies needed:
T-shirt
black Sharpie, fine point
liquid bleach
First, pull your T-shirt over a cutting board or something similar. This will ensure that your bleach does not leak through to the back of your shirt. Next, pour a small amount of bleach into a plastic cup. *This step is optional, but I get nervous pouring an entire gallon of bleach onto a T-shirt! And the plastic cup just helps to maintain a bit of control when pouring, as you can squeeze the sides in and make a sort of spout.*
Then pour a very small amount of bleach where the center of your "moon" would be. Go slow. The bleach will seep and spread quite a bit. When the bleach stops spreading, add some more bleach if your moon is too small. If your moon is the right size, just sit back and let it dry for a bit. If you need to add more bleach, just keep pouring it in the center, letting it spread itself out.
I thought the above moon was too small, so I added more bleach.
Much better. Below is what the T-shirt looked like after about 15 minutes of drying.
Now that's a full moon! After about 30 minutes, I removed the cutting board and washed the T-shirt with some towels that wouldn't be harmed by a bit of bleach.
While the T-shirt was in the wash, I practiced my "branchy tree". I am not good at drawing. I have learned how to draw a number of things, but skills are very limited. Fortunately, I was able to manage a tree! I simply started drawing the branches, dividing them with wide, odd "V" shapes, and just kept separating them as I went along. Does that make any sense? Maybe this stop animation video will help...
How to draw a tree, when you don't know how to draw. from Mark Kennedy on Vimeo.
Isn't that little video fun?!?! Quinny LOVED it, but he REALLY loved it in reverse! I might add the reverse version, but that was a bit more work than I could handle last night during "editing". ;)
When the T-shirt was dry, I inserted the cutting board again, and I used the Sharpie to draw the tree and owl.
I also made a green version.
And I think this would be really cute in purple, too! I like seasonal T-shirts, but I don't like paying much money for them, because you only get to wear them for a few weeks! Well, I suppose someone might wear them year round, but I try not to let my peeps do that...but sometimes I am overruled! Anyhow, not bad for only a few dollars and about 10 minutes worth of time!
If you try this, send me a pic and I will post it on here!!
Have a blessed day, friends! Enjoy the Son!
Reader Comments (1)
Stumbled upon your site today and I am beyond hooked. Let's say I have spent a nearly 7 obsessive hours on your site today. Love your little family and all your ideas. You rock, keep up the amazing work!!!