Okay, so I saw this “Downward Spiral” shirt online and thought, “I gotta have that!” It looked simple enough, so I decided to make my own. Here’s how it went down:
Gathering Supplies
First, I grabbed a plain black t-shirt from my closet. I think any solid color would work, but black felt right. Then, I needed some white fabric paint – the kind that puffs up a little when it dries. You know, for that 3D effect. And of course, a paintbrush. I opted for a medium-sized one, not too fine, not too thick.
The Design Prep
I didn’t want to freehand it, so I needed a stencil. I found a spiral design online that I liked, printed it out, and carefully cut it out with an Exacto knife. This part took a while, lots of little curvy lines! I recommend some calming music cause you don’t want a shaky cut.
Painting the Shirt
I laid the shirt flat on some cardboard (to prevent the paint from seeping through) and positioned the stencil in the center. I carefully taped down the edges of the stencil to keep it from moving. Then, the fun part! I dipped my brush in the white paint and started dabbing it onto the shirt, following the stencil. I made sure to get a good, even coat, but not too thick, or it might crack when it dries.
The Waiting Game
Once the painting was done, I carefully removed the stencil. I messed up a bit and there was a tiny paint line out of place, so I quickly wiped with a wet wipe before the paint had a chance to dry.
Then came the hardest part: waiting! I had to let the paint dry completely before I could do anything else. The bottle said 24 hours, but that is not true! I only waited for around 6 hours.
The Final Touches
The next step, according to the paint bottle instruction, I needed to iron the design. I flipped the shirt inside out and ironed the back of the painted area for a few minutes. This supposedly sets the paint and makes it more durable. I don’t know how important this step is, but I did it anyway.
- Result: A pretty cool, custom-made “Downward Spiral” shirt!
- Would I do it again?: Totally! It was a fun, easy project, and I saved some money by making it myself.
It is all finished and I am satisfied! Now I can wear it and be proud of it!
