Skip to Content

Patriotic Hand-Scripted USA Shirt

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 + Silhouette GIVEAWAY! | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

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:

Boom! Snap! Bang!: Fourth of July Firework T-shirt! | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

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!

Patriotic USA Map Wooden Door Hanger | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

Supplies

 

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.

Patriotic Hand-Scripted USA Shirt + Silhouette GIVEAWAY! | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

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

Patriotic Hand-Scripted USA Shirt + Silhouette GIVEAWAY! | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

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!

Patriotic Hand-Scripted USA Shirt + Silhouette GIVEAWAY! | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

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

Patriotic Hand-Scripted USA Shirt + Silhouette GIVEAWAY! | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

….then cut it out in some red HTV.

Patriotic Hand-Scripted USA Shirt + Silhouette GIVEAWAY! | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

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!

Patriotic Hand-Scripted USA Shirt + Silhouette GIVEAWAY! | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

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!

Patriotic Hand-Scripted USA Shirt + Silhouette GIVEAWAY! | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

Completed Patriotic Hand-Scripted USA Shirt!

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

Patriotic Hand-Scripted USA Shirt + Silhouette GIVEAWAY! | Where The Smiles Have Been

Patriotic Hand-Scripted USA Shirt + Silhouette GIVEAWAY! | Where The Smiles Have Been

Patriotic Hand-Scripted USA Shirt + Silhouette GIVEAWAY! | Where The Smiles Have Been

Patriotic Hand-Scripted USA Shirt + Silhouette GIVEAWAY! | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

The Silhouette Challenge

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

The Silhouette Challenge

 

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

Sunshine. Sea Salt. And Ice Cream Shirt Personalized Lawn Chair DIY Summer Strawberry Tote DIY - With the Silhouette Mint! How to Use Multiple Colors of Silhouette Sketch Pens Patriotic Hand-Scripted USA Shirt Herb Garden with Personalized Tin Outdoor Pillow for Summer How to Make Huge Paper Flowers Make A Half Moon Printed Pouch DIY Nautical Pallet Sign Vertical Herb Garden Ladder Kyltit yrttipenkkiin / Labels for herbs Pineapple Cup Decal DIY Flamingo Nail Art Sunshine Straw Toppers Summer Planner Stickers

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!

Silhouette Portrait Giveaway! | Silhouette Challenge & Where The Smiles Have Been

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!

FREE Silhouette Cut Files at WhereTheSmilesHaveBeen.com!

 

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!

Funky Fourth of July Sign + FREE Cut File & Font GIVEAWAY! | Where The Smiles Have Been #FourthOfJuly #4thOfJuly #USA #patriotic #summer #Silhouette #Cricut #HTV #reversecanvas

 

20 Patriotic Craft and Decoration Ideas! | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

DIY Tribal Summer Love Shirt with Glitter HTV | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

DIY Farmers' Market Tote Bag: Eat Local! | Where The Smiles Have Been

 

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Stay crafty!

Where The Smiles Have Been | Crafts. DIY. Home. Mom Life.

Annie Solomon

Friday 13th of May 2016

Thanks for the pictures and helpful hints--I'm just about to start my first HTV T-shirt. It's a onesie for my 11-month-old grandson! I'm very excited to do it (and congrats on your baby news!). Here's the thing I don't understand--how did you get just the OUTLINE of the map? I've got a heart outline with words inside and I can't figure out how to cut the inside as well as the outside of the shape. Any advice?

Meredith @ unOriginalMom

Friday 13th of May 2016

Ok, your son was BORN to be a blogger's kid. He is so cute in front of the camera! Those poses...oh my. Too adorable. And I love the shirt...I may have to make some for my kiddos too!

Morena

Wednesday 11th of May 2016

This looks great! I want to make one for myself.

Marni @ haberdasheryFun

Monday 9th of May 2016

Awesome awesome shirt!! And congrats on being pregnant.. The same thing happened to me when we moved last June.. I've had a hard time unpacking and getting organized.. My sewing room and closet is still a mess and my 4 year old told me last night it looks "junky".. lol.

Elizabeth Diop

Monday 9th of May 2016

This is amazing. Except I don't have the necessary supplies... How about I send you my ideas, and you make cute stuff for my kids? I need some cute shirts with black girls/natural hair/ that say "Black Girl Magic" on them for Anta:-) I need some boyish princess shirts for Aziz. And I need some shirts with quotations about justice for Abraham :-).