Gotta Make It: Martin Luther King, Jr. T-Shirt (Freezer Paper Stencil)

"I have a dream that this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. " – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

***This is a re-post from last year because it was very popular and all his teachers wanted to know where I bought this shirt.  Now I need to get to it and make one for my little man :)******

I'm smitten and, no, I'm not referring to my husband or kids today (although I am always smitten for them). Freezer paper has done it. I was a virgin to the use of freezer paper until now ….and now I just can't control myself. I'm so giddy with all these ideas for projects in every room of the house filling up this little brain of mine. I can't wait to test them out. Let's hope the boys decide to cooperate the next couple of weeks so I can share! I started this project at 7:30 pm last night after the kiddos went to bed. It took me about an hour (not including drying time). So there is time for you to do this before Martin Luther King, Jr Day on Monday.

Since I was a newbie to using Freezer paper I turned to the internet and some other crafty people for help. I got the general idea from MADE and she also has great directions. Be sure to check her out for references and support. She even shows you how to take any photo and "posterize" it so you can use it as a stencil. Or you can do as I did and go to spraypaintstencils.com and print a free stencil already prepared.

MATERIALS:

Freezer paper (with foil and plastic wrap at store)
Xacto Knife
T-shirt
Fabric Paint & brush/sponge
Iron
Cutting board, cardboard or other hard surface you don't care about
Stencil
Tape

HERE WE GO….

1. Print out stencil or create your own. Refer to MADE's instructions to make your own stencil. I cut my freezer paper to 8 ½ X 11 and taped it to a piece of regular printer paper. Then I ran it through the printer so it would print on the dull side of the freezer paper. .

   

   (oh yeah…did I forget to mention that a glass of wine is always good while doing the project J)

   The bowl is there in case you have little pieces that you will need later. In this stencil I didn't need any later to complete the photo.

2. Place your stencil on a hard cutting surface. I don't have a craft cutting board so I used some cardboard. Tape the stencil down so it doesn't move. Start with the small pieces and start cutting the stencil out. It takes a while so I suggest cut, take a sip of wine, cut, take another sip, cut, get some chocolate etc. Before you know it, your stencil will look like the one below.

 

1. Take your stencil and place it on your t-shirt with the shiny surface face down and dull side up. Iron over the stencil onto the t-shirt. Make sure you iron it really well so there is no bleeding with the paint.

   

   

 

1. Place a piece of cardboard or something else in between the front and back of the shirt to prevent any paint bleeding through to the back. Take your fabric paint and apply to stencil. Let it dry. This is always the hardest part…not to peek too early. Doing it at night helped because it was time for bed anyway.

    

   

 

1. So first thing in the morning…..

   Remove the stencil. Tada! I had the biggest grin on my face and LOVE the shirt. Luckily, Lil Man does too. Now the hubby wants one. (note…check your paint directions to see if it needs to be heat set.)

   

   

   

It's never too early to start sharing the story with your children. Although my four year old is not ready for a detailed history lesson, he does get the gist of it. His explanation to us this morning was, "When Martin Luther King, Jr was a kid, the kids with yellow hair, brown hair, and red hair were not allowed to play together. So when he got older he wanted to change that. So now all the kids can play together."

Live and support the dream and keep the conversation going…these shirts are great to remind our kids and EVERYONE the importance of treating all people equal , with respect and love, and to stand up for the injustices that we see in the world. Give your child the gift to dream and the foundation to stand up for themselves and others….share Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s story.

Be inspired, get creative, and have fun!