DIY Spray Paint Shirts
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Looking for a fun alternative to tie dye? Try out these spray paint shirts!
Hello I’m Amy from amylanham.com and I love creating easy DIYs. Anytime I can get my kids involved in the crafts is a win for me!
This is an easy project to do with your kids, but still a cool enough finished product to do by yourself too.
How to Make a spray paint shirt
These spray paint shirts are a lot easier than tie dye, but just as fun!
What you need:
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Craft Tools Needed:
Supplies Needed:
These are the ingredients you’ll need. All the exact amounts are in the printable card at the bottom of this post.
- Water
- Fabric Paint
- White TShirts
- Cardboard
Spray Paint Shirt Tips:
Should I prewash the shirts?
Yes, when using fabric paint, always prewash your items. This ensures that the fabric has already shrunk and won’t distort the final painted item.
How Much Paint Should I Use?
I used about a 1 to 4 ratio of paint to water. The more water that is used, the less pigmented the paint will be.
The paint needs to be thinned enough to not clog up the spray nozzle, but not thinned so much that no color is visible.
I mixed the paint directly in the spray bottles. Add the paint first and then add water. Shake well.
What Spray Bottle Works Best?
We used trigger spray bottles and finger spray bottles. Personally, I think the trigger spray bottles work best.
With the trigger spray bottles, you can turn the nozzle to change the amount of spray that comes out. This means you can either more fully saturate areas or just mist them.
Also, the trigger can be only have pressed with helps create more of a splatter effect. This is great for adding paint to only a small area and helping to create more of a tie dye effect.
I also preferred the trigger spray for the kids. The finger spray was harder for them to use and fully depress. My youngest is 6 and she struggled with the finger spray the most. I wouldn’t even try the finger spray with kids younger than 5.
Can I wash the Shirts?
Yes! If you use the fabric paint you can wash and dry the shirts as you normally would.
Just make sure to follow the directions after applying. Most fabric paints require a dry and set time of 3 days before the first wash. But then can be washed an infinite number of times.
Can the spray paint be stored?
Yes. Once you’ve done this once, you’ll want to do it again! And most likely there will still be paint left over in the bottles.
Leave the paint in the bottles and it can be stored. I wouldn’t keep it forever, but it will store for a few weeks.
The paint and water may separate while being stored. Make sure to shake well before using again.
How far away should I stand to spray the shirts?
The closer you stand the more concentrated the spray will be. The farther away the spray will fan out more.
There’s no correct way to do this. I liked sprayed from 6-8 inches away. My kids wanted it more pigmented and concentrated, so they sprayed from 2-4 inches away. Either will work.
Use Cardboard to Keep the Paint from Bleeding through the Shirt
Put a piece of cardboard inside the shirt to keep the paint from bleeding through to the other side.
This is only necessary if you are really saturating the shirt. But it will help keep the paint on the side that you are painting and not bleeding through to the other side.
The color is too light.
Add more paint, or just saturate the shirt more. With each spray more paint comes out. So the more you spray, the deeper the color will be.
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What’s Next?
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