Freezer Paper Love

So I didn't know it until recently, but I love freezer paper!  Last year, while searching for something fun and unique to do at my good friend Carla's baby shower, I found a project for freezer paper stencils. I knew that with a little bit of effort, it would be fun!

I started out with random graphics that I liked.  Most were found from Google images.  This one is a tree with hearts as the leaves.  I traced the graphic onto a piece of freezer paper with a pencil (on the smooth side, not the waxy side), and using an Exacto knife and a self-healing mat, I cut on all the lines.   We wanted to have 20 different stencils for guests to choose from at the party, so my party planning hostess partner Janae cut out 10 and I cut out 10.  I'm not going to lie.  It took a long time.

 

Before the party, I ironed the stencils to the center of each onesie, positioning them so if Carla were to put pants or a skirt on the baby, you could still see the design. 

Here are some of the party guests painting onesies.  They choose the design they liked the best, and using sponge dabbers and fabric paint, sponged the colors on that they wanted.  Some girls used a one color design, some got bold and used a variety of colors.  We loved that guests could get creative with their onesie, but you did not have to be artistic for it to come out cute.

After the paint dries for about an hour, you can peel off the paper.  Make sure to launder it inside out for the first time.  How very Portland of us - a peace sign and a recycling symbol :)

As a Christmas gift this year, I decided to break out the freezer paper again.  My little sister lives in Eugene, a very Earth-conscious, "green" city.  So naturally, I made her a bicycle t-shirt.  I bought the plain gray t-shirt at Target and found a bicycle graphic that I liked from Google images.  

Here is my stencil, all ready to be ironed to the shirt.

And after ironing it. I positioned the triangle in the middle of the bike and the circles for the insides of the wheels while ironing.  It's important to remember where each piece goes as you are cutting.

Here is my Tulip brand fabric paint.  I got the palette and sponge daubers at Michael's.   I just sponged on a thin layer, making sure the coverage was good, but that I didn't use too much to make it bleed under the freezer paper.  I put a piece of cardboard on the inside of my shirt so the paint wouldn't soak through to the other side.

Here I am modeling the shirt before I sent it off to Marley.  Cute, huh?  And since I only had to buy the t-shirt, it ended up being a very inexpensive gift.  She said she loved it, so hopefully she wears it while riding her bike around Eugene! :)

Have you used fabric paint before?  What are your ideas for fun baby shower activities?  I'd love to hear about it!