Finding a cool Father’s Day gift that little kids can make can be daunting. This particular project was inspired by a tee my daughter had that said “Rad Like Dad” in washi tape-inspired lettering. My husband LOVED that shirt and now that we’ve passed the shirt along, that daddy loves it as well. This project is inspired by that shirt and honestly, I love it so much I might make a matching one for my daughter!
Here’s what you’ll need:
* A Plain Tee in a light color (I used a white undershirt because it’s what I had on-hand but you could use a nice tee from American Apparel, etc!
* Acrylic paint in a few colors (you can use fabric paint but acrylic is cheaper and washes nice and soft where fabric paint can end up kind of stiff. It is permanent though so make sure you put a smock on your kids!)
* Washi, masking or painter’s tape depending on how wide you want your letters
* A Piece of cardboard
* Paintbrush
Using strips of tape, mark out your desired words. I wanted the edges of the tape to show so I left them jagged but you can use stickers if you’d like the letters to be “pretty.”
Before you start painting, put the cardboard inside the t-shirt. This will keep the paint from seeping through to the back of the shirt. Using a piece of sturdy cardboard that is as wide or just a bit wider than the shirt can also help keep it taut while painting. Since mine was not wide enough I had to hold the shirt for my daughter in a few places while she painted. Make sure the paint covers all the edges so you get a nice outline of the letters.
Once the paint is completely dry, peel off the tape. Throw the tee in the washer with your colors and it’s ready for Dad!
You could do a few variations of this idea that I think would be equally successful.
*Instead of paintbrushes you could use stamps, sponges, foam rollers, toy cars, bubble wrap, pretty much anything that will make a mark!
*You could use dad’s favorite color in different shades.
*You could use the tape to make other designs on the shirt.
I hope you liked this DIY! If you decide to take on this project and post a pic on Instagram make sure and use the hashtag #DMBDIYS!
This is such a fantastic idea!! My girls love crafting and painting, so this would be the perfect gift for them to make.
Oh yay! I hope they enjoy the project!
This is such a fun project to make. This is great for statement tees too!
It sure is! I’m kind of obsessed with this idea at the moment actually, ha!
What a great idea! I love stuff that the kids can help with. Pinned!
We tried this yesterday during a rainy afternoon! It is so fun! Ours said Pops with a popsicle since we all call him Pops or Popsicle when we are being especially playful! So cute and easy and I had everything on hand already 🙂
This is a fantastic idea and it’s so simple! I’m going to do this with my son for father’s day. Daddy is going to love it.