diy: t-shirt make-over part II - printed geo shirt

for part II of the t-shirt make-over series (find part I here) i decided to do a geometrical design using the potato stamping method and some fabric paint.

you may have potato stamped before - probably in kindergarten but hey, that counts ;)

the method is really super easy, cheap and you can stamp any kind of design you're able to cut into a large potato.  

to create this design or something similar this is what you'll need:

a white t-shirt (i used fruit of the loom men's v-neck shirts in size s)

fabric paint (i experimented with 3 kinds, two were martha stewart's all purpose acrylic paints and one was actual fabric paint) 

a sponge brush

several large potatoes

a sharp knife

pieces of cardboard

craft paper to protect your work surface

first you'll need to cut your shapes into the potatoes. 

i used a marker and then simply cut away the area i didn't want to print with. simple shapes will turn out best so don't do any intricate designs unless you majored in potato sculpting. 

make sure to cut at least 1/2 - 3/4 inch deep into the potato which will help keep your designs nice and clean when you print. 

i recommend you try out your stamps on a scrap piece of muslin fabric or an old t-shirt. 

i was looking for a muted black color and ended up going with the actual fabric paint instead of the martha stewart gray (left)  and gloss black (top). 

slide the cardboard into your shirt where you will start stamping. this will keep the paint from leaking through and onto the back side of the shirt. make sure to move it around as you print your design.
i applied the paint with the small sponge brush because i had more control over the cleanliness of the shapes while printing. any excess paint may drip from the stamp onto unwanted places on your shirt.
i wanted the design to be slightly "imperfect" so i didn't mind it if some shapes didn't print as evenly as others. let the paint dry as per directions before you turn it over to print the back.

i also rolled up the sleeves and lightly stitched them in place.

voila!

find more tutorials here.