My name is Christine and I have a problem….I can’t stop making shirts for my son!  It is a *slight* addiction of mine, as my Project Gallery clearly shows.  Hey, he’s a little cutie and my Silhouette Cameo makes it so darn easy to come back for another hit.  No shame in my crafting game.

Summer is rolling around again so it’s time to deck my dude out in some patriotic duds.  Keep reading for all the details on this adorable tee my little man will be rocking all summer long!

Oh, and I’ve got some EXTRA GIANT GOODNESS in this post too!  Not only are you about to read a craft tutorial that just may change your life (kidding), BUT it’s also Silhouette Challenge time again (woot!), AND we’re hosting a GIVEAWAY for a Silhouette Portrait (I know!) as well as TWO Heat Transfer Vinyl Starter Kits!

That’s a lot of capitals and exclamation points so you know it has to be good! :)

 

Patriotic Hand-Scripted USA Shirt

Last year, I created a Fourth of July Firework Sounds shirt for my son and it turned out so stinkin’ cute, if I do say so myself:

 

However, thanks to my little dude growing like a weed (which toddlers tend to do), it doesn’t fit anymore.  Whomp, whomp.

Instead of redoing that same design on a larger shirt for him to wear this summer, I decided to use another adorable patriotic design I’ve previously used, just to spice things up a bit.

On Pinterest a couple years ago, I spotted this amazing free cut file and used it to create an All-American door hanger last summer.  I just love the pretty swirls and twirls!

 

Supplies

• T-shirt (Old Navy brand)
• Heat transfer vinyl (HTV) in red and black
• Silhouette Cameo & cutting mat
• Sheet of multi-use paper
• Iron
• Cookie sheet

 

Creating My Mockup

I first snapped a pic of my son’s shirt and then created my mockup in Silhouette Studio.  To get the thick black USA border, I just did a tiny offset of the original map shape then grouped the two together.

I decided to keep a consistent color scheme and used the two colors of the shirt (red and black) for the HTV.

 

Silhouette Cut Settings for HTV

So here are the cut settings that I used to cut out the HTV with my Silhouette Cameo.

Oh, and let me just say that I am super proud of myself for remembering to mirror my design BEFORE cutting out my vinyl!  That doesn’t always happen.

• Blade: 2 (ignore the blade setting in the screenshot below….I snapped it too soon before I made my adjustment!)
• Speed: 5
• Thickness: 4

 

Cutting Out the HTV

Now it was finally time to cut!  I first grabbed a sheet of black HTV from my handy dandy vinyl storage organizer and loaded it onto my cutting mat and then into my Silhouette Cameo.

And forgive my crafting on the floor!  We just moved into a new house and then two weeks later I found out that I’m pregnant (wahoo!), so the craft room of my dreams has been put on hold for the time being.  Eventually I WILL have a pretty and functional work space!

 

Next, I followed these same steps and prepped the wording in the Cut Settings menu….

 

….then cut it out in some red HTV.

 

Applying the HTV

Once my two design elements were cut, I trimmed the pieces off their larger sheets then weeded (or removed) all the excess vinyl.

And you bet your bottom dollar that I saved the inside of the black USA piece and stuck that puppy in my vinyl scraps organizer….leave no scrap behind!

 

For a complete step-by-step on how to apply HTV with an iron, check out this post.  There’s no sense in recreating the wheel, and it’s got all the deets for ya.

Soooo, after putting my iron to good use (because lord knows I never use it for its intended purpose of ironing clothes….that’s what a dryer is for, amiright?), I peeled away the clear backing.  A few moments later I had perfectly adhered HTV.  Success!

 

Completed Patriotic Hand-Scripted USA Shirt!

Here’s my completed USA shirt!  And the cutest little model you’ve ever seen. :)

 

The Silhouette Challenge

As promised, there’s extra Silhouette goodness in this post because it’s also Silhouette Challenge time again!  Woot Woot!

 

This quarter’s theme is Summer Projects, so make sure you take a peek at all 16 projects being shared today!

1. Sisters, What // 2. Small Stuff Counts // 3. Adventures in All Things Food // 4. Creative Ramblings // 5. Where The Smiles Have Been // 6. Curly Crafty Mom // 7. Architecture of a Mom // 8. Create & Babble // 9. HaberdasheryFun // 10. Coral + Mint Design Co. // 11. Designed Decor // 12. Tehtaiskö nyt? // 13. Tori Grant Designs // 14. Morena’s Corner // 15. It Happens in a Blink // 16. unOriginal Mom

 

**ENDED!** Silhouette Portrait GIVEAWAY!

But wait, there’s more! :)

I’ve saved the best for last because Silhouette America has graciously sponsored a giveaway as part of this Silhouette Challenge!

(Oh, and did you know that I’m a part of Silhouette’s Creative Design Team for this year?  Yep, it’s true!)

One lucky grand prize winner will receive their very own Silhouette Portrait, and two runners-up will each receive a Heat Transfer Vinyl Starter Kit!  And if you already own a Silhouette, just think how great a gift either of these prizes would make for a friend!

To enter: Just complete the entries in the Rafflecopter widget below.  You have 19 potential entries, which means a lot of winning power.  So, hurry up and enter!  Good luck! :)

(This giveaway runs from 8:00 am Eastern on May 9 until 11:59 pm on May 16, 2016, and is open to readers with a US mailing address.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Free Silhouette Cut Files!

Don’t miss all the FREE Silhouette cut files I’ve shared so far!

 

If You Enjoyed This….

Make sure you check out my Project Gallery for lots of other crafty creations, mom tips, digital tutorials, and more, including these summertime goodies!

 

 

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Stay crafty!