Wednesday, August 28, 2013

20 Totally Cool Tote Bag DIYs

We are REALLY excited to present to you this fun roundup of totally cool tote bag tutorials in honor of our partnership with the cool designer DIY kit company Darby Smart!
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Screen Printed Napoleon Dynamite T-shirt

Our local library has a really great selection of movies to rent for free.  We brought home four Potter family favorites this past weekend, including the cult classic Napoleon Dynamite.  Sweet!  As soon as we saw the Vote for Pedro t-shirts again, we knew what our DIY teen craft project would be for the week.  Using our trusty Tulip Screen-It and a retro style font, we had our sweet t-shirts whipped up in a flash.  
Vote for Pedro, and all of your wildest dreams will come true.
and
You will need:
100% Cotton T-shirt (wash first to remove sizing)
Painter's Tape
Tulip T-Shirt Form
Plastic tub
Soft sponge
8.5x11" black ink inkjet print of VOTE FOR PEDRO
 
 Before you can print your shirt, you'll need to create the screen.  Follow the instructions below and on this video to ensure success.  Start by downloading and printing the image above at original size 8.5"x11" in black ink on an inkjet printer.  (Or make your own using Cooper Black font.) You'll need to burn your screen in a room without exterior light, like a bathroom.  Bring in the Screen-It machine, a lamp that will fit the yellow bulb that comes inside of the machine, your screen still in the package, your t-shirt, the squeegee that comes with the machine, spray adhesive and printed image into the room.  Put the yellow bulb in your lamp and turn it on.  Turn off any other light.  Now spray the foam area on the platform of your machine.  Place the screen on your machine, squeegee out any air bubbles so it's flat.  Spray the front of your printed image, place it on the screen facing down and use squeegee to remove any air bubbles.  Place cover on top, turn machine on and wait 8 minutes.  After 8 minutes, turn the top of the machine 180 degrees and turn back on.  DO NOT TURN ON OVERHEAD LIGHT YET! Burn screen for 8 more minutes.  Turn machine off, turn overhead light on and remove screen from machine.  Now you're ready to roll!
Step one: Place your burned screen into a tub of cool water and let sit for 10 minutes.  Use your fingertips and a soft sponge to gently wipe away the emulsion from the burned areas of your screen.  Be gentle.  When all emulsion is removed from these areas and they're clear of any pink residue, you're all set.  Let the screen dry.  Step two: Slide your t-shirt form inside of your shirt, making sure the shirt is centered.  Step three: Tape the back of the shirt so it's smooth around the front and there are no wrinkles or gaps.
Step three: Attach the dry screen to the front of your shirt, make sure it's centered and you have the lettering placed where you want it before you print.  Step five: Squirt a thick bead of paint across the top of the lettering on the screen.  Be careful not to get any paint on the shirt!   Use the squeegee to scrape the paint across the letters evenly.  I do this from top to bottom, bottom to top, left to right and right to left.  Remove the tape and  gently remove the screen being careful not to blob paint on the shirt. Let the shirt dry before you wear it.  That's it!  
 Do you have a family favorite film?  Is there a tag line you could use for your own Family Film Night t-shirts?  We'd love to know!  Share in the comments!  
Visit us on Facebook and join the crafty conversation and visit Margot and Avalon Potter at DIY Doyenne for more fashion and style.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

How to: Make a Keepsake Silhouette Portrait

Here's a handmade and personalized gift for Grandparent's Day (the first Sunday after Labor Day -- for 2013, it's on September 8!), or you can save it for Mother's or Father's Day. Just snap a photo of your subject in profile, gather up the rest of the materials, and you can make and assemble this in minutes. Start a series by making a new image each year so you can see the growth of your child!
-photo frame
-photo of your subject in profile to fit your frame

(it doesn't need to be crisp or particularly high quality)
-artists tape
-craft knife and cutting mat

-black paper (tip: if you don't have any,
create and print out a sheet of black paper on your computer)
-decorative paper (for background--check out your
wrapping paper stash for good options)
-scrap paper (for banner--I found a colorful envelope
from a holiday card in the recycling bin)
-thin-tipped pen
Line up your photo on top of the black paper so the bottom edge aligns with one of the edges of the black paper. Tape both layers at the corners to the cutting mat.
Cutting through both layers, carefully trace the subject's profile (head and torso) with the blade of your craft knife. Exaggerate flyaway hairs for a playful flourish.
Gently separate the photo and the black silhouette beneath it from their respective backgrounds. Hold the black silhouette against different decorative background papers to see what works. Set aside the silhouette.
Carefully remove the glass from the frame and use it as a template to cut the decorative background paper to size.
Press the adhesive along the back of the silhouette, paying careful attention to the edges. (You can also use glue, but the dry adhesive roller is so tidy and contained!) Center and press it onto the background paper, aligning the bottom edges. 

Use the craft knife to cut a small banner from the scrap paper, and use the pen to write the child's name, initials, birthday, or the date or occasion of the photo. Press adhesive along the back of the banner and then place it at the bottom of the silhouette.
Reassemble the frame, placing your silhouette art in place of a photo. Timeless!