diy jim bag

friends, i'm going away for the weekend, which means no new posts during the time when i usually post a lot. i know, i know, most of you are thinking "well shoot, what am i going to do?" but, fear not!. in my absence i leave you a super fun DIY project! i made a gym tote for my workout-buddy/ shopping partner / friend / mentor / possible soon to-be-guest-blogger, jessica a few weeks ago as a super belated birthday present. it's a fun, personal, and useful gift, and it costs me only a few bucks to make! see for yourself, make something while i'm gone (sending it to me is optional).

you'll need: a silkscreen + squeegee, fabric silkscreen paint, some acetate paper (the stuff that's used on overheard projectors), an x-acto knife, a sharpie, a cool image in your head or to trace, spray paint (optional),  hairdryer if you are super impatient like me, small paintbrush, and something to print on! some old newspaper/magazine scraps are good to have around too.

silkscreens are super awesome and fun to have around and can be found at your average art supply store. they're not too expensive (mine was a gift--thanks jann and amy!!) and if you take care of them they'll last a long time. 

here we go!

supplies. moet optional.

one time i tried to teach myself how to draw fashion illustrations. needless to say it didn't quite work out but the book itself has been an inspiration. 

trace the picture you picked out onto acetate. the best place to get this is at a copy center/paper store for like 10 cents a page. if you're artistically inclined, here is where you draw/trace your own image on to the acetate.

then you cut 'em out!

i like to test out the stencil with some spray paint. then you can make adjustments, tape broken lines, etc before you put the final image on your garment.

go time. tape your stencil onto the screen, making sure no spaces are left around the perimeter for paint to seep through. center the screen+stencil on your fabric, so that there is no space between the fabric and the stencil. next, dab a line of paint on the inside of the screen. while applying pressure to the frame (knees, or a partner help with this one) use the squeegee to drag the paint across the inside of the screen. keep dragging the paint, adding more if needed to make sure the stencil has been evenly coated. 

carefully lift the screen off of the fabric. make touch-ups (nobody's perf) using a fine paint brush and the fabric paint. icyww, yes that is Jade on my fingertips.

ta-dahhhh! stylish silhouettes on a sac!

for the opposite side, i did a fade effect using a different stencil. for this i simply moved the screen and squeegeed without adding more paint.

i topped it off with a bow...my older stencil but still one of my faves.

finished side 2. the last step is to heat seal your handiwork. just grab a clean rag/random t-shit, put it over your design and iron at the highest setting for a sec. this way you can wash it (good idea for a gym bag) without the paint fading.

xx

try it this weekend and send me some pics... or, if you're already a silkscreen pro (ahem, amy) send me pics and tips!

have a great weekend and please nobody do anything newsworthy i'll be in the woods till sunday night.