give it a try.

i was jumping around on the internet the other day and got the idea to try freezer paper stenciling. i'd heard of it before, but never saw an in-depth tutorial to tell me what to do.

armed with my joann's 10% coupon, i bought some fabric paints this weekend to give it a try.

tools, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

you've probably seen the tutorials on how to do this all over the internet. buy freezer paper, fabric paints, (i was told to use matte finish), and a straight edge knife to cut your template out.

template traced, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

trace your picture onto the flat, non-shiny side of the freezer paper. i chose mickey because andrew loves mickey, and it would be easy for my first try.

stencil created, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

using your straight edge knife, carefully cut out your shape. you want to carefully do this so that you don't cut into the template. your paint will come through if you do.

old shirt made new., originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

i found an old oneside with a screenprint that i didn't mind covering. this project is great if you have a shirt with a stain on it. i knew the screenprint would cause the paint to look a little different in some spots - but since this was my first try, i didn't mind.

painted, originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

iron the stencil onto the shirt, shiny side down. if you have an intricate stencil, place the iron down instead of moving back and forth - you'll lift the edges of your stencil if you do that. then the fun part - paint inside! careful or you'll make my mistake and paint outside the stencil.

time to dry., originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

let it dry as the instructions on your paint allow - mine said 2-3 hours. i was impatient and lifted the stencil sooner. next time i'll make sure to wait. the paint bottle did not say this, but i read online that you should iron over your finished product with a towel on top to set the paint so that it does not flake off in the wash.

praying hands., originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

this little guy is growing so fast that this onesie won't fit him for long, especially with a big cloth-diapered bottom. and he's into his hands lately, so most of my pictures have his praying hands pose.

best shot i could get without the hands in the way., originally uploaded by sassyladybug.

here's the best picture i could get without his hands or andrew's big head in the way. you can see the previous screenprint in this picture but it's not too bad. i wish i hadn't gone outside the stencil, but you live and you learn.