Making a Star Burst Shirt

For Christmas this year I wanted to make everyone a shirt with our names on it. On the front I put everyone's first name and on the back I did our last name. I called this a star burst shirt because, to me, it looks like a star burst around our names.

The first thing I did was cut the names out of contact paper using my Cricut. I have done this before by cutting the word out of freezer paper and ironing it on but using contact paper was faster and worked just as good

After peeling the backing off I stuck it on the shirt where I wanted it.

This next step helped seal the edges and stopped the paint from bleeding under the contact paper. On my previous project I did it on white t-shirts so I just used white fabric paint but with these blue shirts I needed something either the same color as the shirt or something clear. I decided to try glue. I used Elmer's Glue All. I poured some into a little dish that I had and with a pencil I dipped it in the glue and went around all the edges (update: After using Elmer's Glue All I found that some of the paint, especially smaller area, such as the middle of a letter, have started coming off after washing. Next time I will be trying fabric glue)

I wanted to make sure the edges were completely covered.

Here you can see it covered in the glue. I made sure to get inside of the a d also.

Once the glue was dry I went on to the next step.

You need at least two different colors of fabric paint. I chose a slick white and a metallic silver fabric paints.

The metallic paint is a little thinner consistency and I found that it lets some of the white show through so it worked great to start with the white paint. Using the same technique as with the glue I use the eraser side of the pencil and dipped it into the paint and started dabbing it around the edge of my last name. 

Here is a short video clip on how to dot with the paint. Sorry for the loud humming noise. I had my little space heater on warming up my feet. 

From time to time the paint built up around the edge of the eraser and I needed to wipe it off to continue to get clean edged dots. Other wise it made sort of a splattered dot.

Once I completely cover the edges of my name I filled in all around working my way out in a star burst pattern. I filled in any spaces using a lot of dots around the name then spacing them out as I went further out. Remember you will be adding in a second color so you will want to leave space for that.

When my first color finished drying I filled in with my second color. I did same thing as I did for the first by going over around the edges of the name going right on top of the first color and then spacing them out as I got further out from the name.

Once that dried I peeled away the contact paper and my name came out crisp and clean.

You can use this technique with all kinds of things. Names, shapes, sports logos.... you are only limited by you imagination. If you have any questions or need me to clarify anything please let me know.