Weird Science! A Cool T-Shirt Craft for All Ages

In most places it is starting to get warm outside and the sun is beginning to wake up from its long winters nap. Hunting around the internet, I came across this great craft (courtesy of Wonder Time.com) perfect for toddlers (with supervision) and bigger kids too. The options are endless and only their own creativity will limit what is possible! This is a great craft for outside, in school or out.
 Here is what you will need:

  • Newspaper
  • 1 clean white cotton T-shirt 
  • Plastic cup (8 to 12 ounces)
  • Rubber band
  • Plastic water-bottle cap
  • Permanent markers (such as Sharpies) in various colors
  • Eyedropper
  • Rubbing alcohol

Directions:
Cover your work surface with newspaper: Choose a picnic table outdoors (ideal), or a spot indoors near an open window, as the alcohol can be fumy. (It’s flammable, too, so stay away from heat sources.)

  1. Lay the T-shirt flat on the work surface, then slip the cup inside the shirt from the bottom, standing the cup upright in the place you’d like to start decorating. Stretch the rubber band over the T-shirt and the rim of the cup, pulling the T-shirt taut.
  2. Put the bottle cap in the center of the stretched fabric. Have your child use a marker to make a circle of dots around the bottle cap, keeping the dots fairly close to the cap.
  3. Remove the bottle cap. Using the eyedropper, slowly squeeze 20 drops of rubbing alcohol onto the blank spot where the cap was. (Supervise closely or do this part yourself; the alcohol can sting and is dangerous if ingested.) As the fabric absorbs the alcohol, the ink will spread outward in a circular pattern like fireworks. Allow the design to dry for 5 minutes before repeating on a new area of the shirt.
  4. Experiment with different shapes — a dotted star, a heart, or concentric rings of dots. To make flowers, when the designs are dry, slip some paper towels inside the shirt and draw stems with markers.
  5. When the shirt is done and completely dry, pop it in the dryer for 20 minutes to set the colors, then wash and dry as usual.

You can get a variety of great T-Shirts for all ages here at
Rock Bottom T-Shirts.
                       
Infant Creeper           Toddler T-Shirt          Girls T-Shirt 

                  
       Juniors T-Shirt            Ladies T-Shirt

1 Comment

Filed under Uncategorized

One response to “Weird Science! A Cool T-Shirt Craft for All Ages

  1. Pingback: What is Combed Ringspun Fabric? « Rock Bottom T-Shirts Blog

Leave a comment