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Bat Shirt: Tutorial and Download

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I posted this on Every Crafty Endeavor a couple weeks ago.  Don’t forget to enter the Hadley Grace Designs giveaway HERE. 
I’m sure you’ve all seen the Country Living Bats from a couple years ago.  I know I was excited to make some for my own front door and then some for inside my house.  Out of all my Halloween decorations, these get the most comments.

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It’s pretty self-explanatory, especially for those well seasoned in the freezer paper painting method.  DSC_0851

You’ll need:

-freezer paper
-cardstock
-paintbrush
-acrylic paint
-shirt
-bat shirt template (click HERE to download.  UPDATE:  For those wanting the file for your silhouette, email me and I can email it to you.  I don’t think there is any way I can share the link for that since you have to have the silhouette software to open it.  Alternatively, you can save the document as a picture and then import it and use the trace feature on your silhouette—or just email me since that is easier for you!).  This template is for a toddler size shirt—the size shirt I used was 3T.  You could use multiple templates however, to paint the bats onto a larger area if you want to.  To create the template, I used THIS bat.

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Ok, so I’m spoiled and my hubby bought me a silhouette for Christmas last year, so I was able to use my trace feature and cut my freezer paper that way.  But I sure have done a fair amount of cutting my freezer paper by hand on a few different projects.  If I was to do that on this project, I’d probably simplify the shape of the bats a bit while cutting them out (if not using a silhouette, then trace the template onto the freezer paper and cut out the bats, or you can print onto the freezer paper—I’ve done that before but sometimes the freezer paper gets stuck in my printer and that’s no fun!)DSC_0827

Iron the freezer paper onto the shirt.  Make sure that you get the edges to stick down well so the paint doesn’t seep under.DSC_0828

Place a piece of thick paper (I use cardstock) between the layers of the shirt.DSC_0830

And paint away.  Dabbing the brush seems to work great and not lift up the freezer paper. Both my sons helped me paint this—it’s a great project for kids!DSC_0833

Once you are finished painting, you can peel off the freezer paper.  Just be careful not to get any paint on the shirt where you don’t want it! DSC_0835

Allow the paint to dry before removing the cardstock.  After it’s dry, iron over the paint on medium heat to “set” the paint so it doesn’t fade so much when you wash it.  DSC_0840

All done!  A brand new Halloween shirt.  My boys loved it so much they want one of their own now.  We might just use the bleach pen on black shirts.  DSC_0852DSC_0853
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Comments

  1. you are my hero! I LOVE this shirt..i’m off to make one for my daughter.

    thanks for all of your ideas! I’m really new to the blogging world and you’re definitely an inspiration!

    lesley

    freakingcraft.blogspot.com

  2. i love this shirt. did you download or i guess upload the document to your silhouette software? i still haven’t figured out how to do it. i know there is an upload feature but it never works for mine. is there a trick i am missing???

  3. Hi I”m with **nicke, how did you get this to upload to the Silhouette? I must be missing the same trick. hee-hee.

    Thank you for sharing this shirt. I needed something for my 4YO. =)

  6. This makes me want to dig through my doors and start sewing! Thanks for the great idea. I’m your newest ‘follower’!

    Aimee @ ItsOverflowing.blogspot.com