Sewing Projects

How To Design Your Own T-shirt

Making t-shirts is a fantastic activity for families, schools and youth groups in particular, but anybody can give it a go! Either use the designs provided by Hemingway Design or come up with your own, and donate what you make in your community.

CSV Make a Difference Day
CSV Make a Difference Day takes place on Saturday 30 October, with activities taking place from 23 October to 7 November. To find out more, call Freephone 0800 284 533 or email difference@csv.org.uk

T-shirt materials needed

• Plain t-shirt
• Iron-on transfer paper
• An iron and scissors
• Brown paper
• An inkjet printer
• An image to transfer
• A computer with image software

Hemingway Design

Hemingway Design has put together two fantastic sample images that you can use! To request electronic versions of the images shown, call Freephone 0800 284 533 or email difference@csv.org.uk

Making up

1. Find or create an image you want to use for the transfer. You can use one of the Hemingway Design images, scan an image, find one online, or create one on your PC.

2. Using basic image editing software, you can resize your image, add effects, change colours, or do whatever you want until it’s just right. Use your editing program to mirror the image so that it comes out correctly on the fabric you transfer it to.

3. Print the transfer using an inkjet printer – laser jet printers will not produce good results. Print a test page on plain paper, then when you’re sure it’s how you want it, print it onto a piece of transfer paper. Make sure to load the transfer paper so that the image will print on the correct side (this should be clearly marked).

4. Iron your plain t-shirt first. Place it on a hard, flat surface, and smooth out any wrinkles. The work surface should be heat resistant and should be large enough to accommodate the entire area of the transfer with a little room to spare.

5. Cut around your image, leaving a 5 mm gap all the way around. Place the transfer image-side down on the fabric. Put the transfer on the cloth precisely where you want the image to be, making sure you have the image facing the fabric.

6. Place brown paper inside the shirt directly under the transfer paper. Unless you want the image to be printed on both sides of a shirt, you’ll need to put something between the front and back.

7. Iron on the transfer, carefully reading the instructions given with the transfer paper. Set the iron to the designated temperature, and wait for it to warm up. Move the iron in large circles on top of the transfer paper. Be sure to apply adequate pressure for an adequate amount of time, but keep the iron moving to prevent scorching.

8. Wait for the image to cool. Turn off the iron when finished and let the image cool for a few minutes.

9. Remove the backing from the transfer paper by gently peeling the backing off of the fabric.

10. Your t-shirt is now ready! Make sure you wash and dry on a cool setting only, turning it inside out before washing.

Donate what you make!

Donating the t-shirts you make is a great way to get young people in particular thinking about those in need in their community who have no opportunity to express themselves through the clothes they wear.
Think about young homeless people, refugee groups or anybody else who would appreciate some new clothes – you may even like to involve them in designing and making the t-shirts.

You may also want to donate the t-shirts to a local charity shop, many of whom take part every year in CSV Make a Difference Day and would appreciate donations of new and unusual designs! Search on the Activity Locator on the campaign website (www.csv.org.uk/difference) to find your nearest shop.