This project was intended to be a Christmas present for my fiance. I never finished it, until now! I’ve had the supplies, just not the time to complete it. The plain black hoodie hung around for six months, he even wore it a few times before I was able to make it cool.
To complete this project yourself (though I recommend using a logo or picture of something you like), you will need:
- zip-front hoodie
- contact paper
- Silhouette Cameo
- acrylic paint
- foam brush
- cardboard
Let me explain the acrylic paint. I know there is fabric paint available, you may even prefer to use it. I, however, don’t like to spend $4.00 for a small bottle of paint. I have found that acrylic paint holds up quite well on t-shirts, even after many washings. The Binary Love T-shirt is a great example. The paint does fade just a little after the first washing, but after that I haven’t noticed any problems. My fiance wears this shirt on a weekly basis.
If you haven’t already, wash your hoodie. This will make sure there isn’t any dirt or other things that may keep the paint from sticking properly. It will also take care of any shrinking that may happen.
While you are waiting, open up your Silhouette software and create a file of the design you are painting on the hoodie. You will not need to mirror the design since we will be using the contact paper as a stencil.
Once your design is complete, take your contact paper or transfer paper and affix it to your cutting mat with the paper side down. You will be cutting the sticky part. Send the design to the machine to cut your design. I use the speed setting 3 (Anything faster seems to create problems) and a cutting depth of 2 or 3.
Once the hoodie is washed and dried and you have your design cut, it’s time for the fun part. Slide the cardboard between the layers of the hoodie just in case the paint bleeds through. Now carefully pull the outline of the design off the paper. You should be left holding the sticky part of the contact paper. This is your stencil.
Position the stencil on the hoodie where you want to paint it. Press it down really well around the edges to keep the paint from seeping under the contact paper. Make certain you have it positioned exactly how you want it before you start painting.
Using the foam brush, apply paint to the hoodie inside your stencil. I usually do a thin first coat. Then apply thicker second and third coats. Let the paint dry before removing the stencil.
When the paint is completely dry, I recommend washing the hoodie before wearing.
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