DIY Unicorn Shirt

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My daughter has been watching me create all kinds of projects with vinyl for years, and now she's finally ready to make something all on her own (mostly). She is all about unicorns, fashion, and standing out in a crowd, so it only made sense that she used some of my scraps of vinyl from Expressions Vinyl to create a DIY Unicorn Shirt that is all her own! It was incredibly easy to make, and it's definitely a great summer activity to keep kids busy!!

Upload your favorite unicorn silhouette image and type up "Unicorn Squad" in Cricut Design Space. Load some Expressions Vinyl adhesive vinyl (any color) into the machine and cut out the designs. Unlike heat transfer vinyl, you DON'T need to mirror your image for this project!

After the vinyl has been cut, you'll need to "weed" the vinyl (remove the parts of the design you don't need). Start by carefully peeling the vinyl away starting at one corner with your fingers. My daughter has watched me do this step with all of my projects, so she was thrilled to do this part all on her own! I also know that weeding can get tricky, so I made sure to stand by just in case she needed any help.

For smaller areas like the insides of letters, older kids or adults can use a weeding tool.

Now that the vinyl is ready, we can put our shirt together! Grab a white t-shirt, your vinyl designs, and some colorful fabric spray paint. We used the Tulip Color Shot Festival Multi-Pack to get a rainbow of colors.

Peel the unicorn from the backing sheet and stick it on the center of the shirt. Press it down well, especially around the edges! Flip the shirt over, and arrange the letters of "Unicorn Squad" on the back of the shirt. Again, remember to press the vinyl down really well - especially around the edges!

Take your shirt to a well ventilated area. Place some cardboard or wax paper inside the shirt to prevent any of the spray dye from leaking through to the other side. Lay the shirt down on a large piece of cardboard if you want to protect the area under the shirt, or be like us and create a rainbow on your lawn!!

Hold the can of paint 6" - 8" from fabric and spray with smooth, even strokes. Start with pink and add a light coat of paint across the top of the shirt. Right below, spray a light coat of orange, then yellow, teal, and purple. Let dry for 5 minutes before adding another coat of each color for a brighter look.

Let the shirt dry for about 30 minutes, then flip the shirt over and repeat the spray painting process to the back of the shirt. Bring the shirt inside and hang to dry for an hour or two.

Once the shirt feels dry (not sticky), you can remove the vinyl. Lay the shirt flat and carefully peel up the vinyl starting at the corner of the design. Slowly pull the vinyl up to reveal your image!

The shirt can be washed inside out with mild detergent on gentle cycle after 72 hours. Tumble dry low. My daughter is so proud of her newest piece of custom fashion showing off her adoration for unicorns! The colors have stayed bright wash after wash, and she can't wait to go get more white shirts to make a whole new custom wardrobe using this vinyl and fabric dye technique.

Vinyl can be used for so may projects, and isn't just for moms anymore. If you've got kids interested in creating, this is such a fun and simple project for kids of all ages!!

What would your kids make with vinyl?

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