Making Monday: Freezer Paper Magic

 

1.  Take a piece of paper.  Draw a design.  We would suggest something not as complicated as our first one, shown here. 

2.  Trace your design in ink or colored pencil so you will be able to trace the design onto the freezer paper clearly.

3.  Cut a piece of freezer paper slightly larger than your design.  Trace the design onto the matte side of the freezer paper by placing your drawing underneath the freezer paper shiny side down.

4.  Tape the freezer paper to a cutting surface and use a crafting knife to cut out the parts of the design you would like to be inked.

5.  Choose a fabric item to affix the design to.
6.  Using an iron on medium-high heat attach the design, shiny side down, to the fabric.  Hold the iron even and flat to press down across the design a few times first so that none of the edges get folded over by the iron.  Then move the iron back and forth a few times to stick the design completely to the fabric.  We also found placing a piece of paper between the iron and design can help keep the corners from folding over.  This process does not take long at all.  Be sure to keep the iron moving and not burn the fabric.
7.  Attach another piece of freezer paper the size of the design on the other side of the fabric to avoid bleed through.  You can do this before or after you attach the design to the fabric.  We did it before the design because we had to turn the t-shirt inside out in order to attach the protective sheet to the inside.
8.  Use fabric paint to paint within the stencil using a brush by dabbing up and down or pulling the paint from the freezer paper to the fabric to avoid getting paint underneath the edges of the stencil.

9.  Wait for the paint to dry.  Add another coat or two if necessary.  Then peel off the freezer paper using a tweezers for any tough spots.  Peel off the back piece as well.

10.  Use a small brush or toothpick to touch up any problem spots.
11.  Heat set with an iron, wash, and use.