Pre-shrinking your shirt prevents the paint from cracking or chipping after you add your design to the hoodie. You can paint on any kind of hoodie, but paint will work best on cotton.
The cardboard will also prevent the paint from bleeding through to the other side of the hoodie.
If you don’t have a drop cloth, cut a garbage bag in half and spread it out on your work surface instead. Avoid using bed sheets or newspapers to protect your surface since paint can easily bleed through them and leave stains.
You can buy fabric paint from your local arts and crafts store or online. Mix black paint with a color if you want to make it a darker shade. If you want a lighter tint, combine the color with white paint.
You don’t have to draw the design on your hoodie if you don’t want to, but it will make it easier to plan the whole design. If you want to change your design, wipe the chalk off with your hand before drawing the new outline.
Get a brush set that has multiple styles of brushes so you can experiment with how they apply paint. You can buy brush sets online or from your local craft store. Try flat-tipped brushes if you want to make broad lines or cover large areas with paint. Use brushes with pointed tips if you want to make thin lines or add small details to your piece.
If you want to make polka dots that are larger than your brush, trace around a lid or bowl with chalk to add the dots to the hoodie. Paint within the outlines with your brushes. Don’t push down too hard on the brush, or else the bristles will fan out and make your polka dots look messy.
You can buy fabric paint markers from your local crafts store or online. Use fabric paint markers if you want to do hand-lettering or add outlines to your drawings.
This works great if you want to add a random, colorful pattern to your hoody. Try misting the hoodie with water and a spray bottle before flicking paint onto it. That way, the paint will spread more and create a watercolor effect. Cover any areas that you don’t want to get paint on, such as the inside of the neck hole, with painter’s tape.
Depending on the size of the stencil, you may need to use multiple sheets of freezer paper. Make sure you don’t print on the shiny coated side of the freezer paper, or else the ink won’t adhere properly. You can also use stencils that you bought from a craft store if you don’t want to make your own.
Work slowly so you don’t accidentally rip through the paper, or else you’ll need to start over.
Make sure you don’t cover any of your design with tape, or else it won’t show up on the hoodie when you paint.
Put black paint on your palette if you want to make the paint darker shades. Mix white paint with colors to make a light tint.
If you want to add another color, rinse the sponge with clean water and wring it out before applying the next shade.
If you plan on using the stencil again for a repeated design, wipe it off with a clean paper towel to remove the excess paint.
You do not need to wear a face mask when working with fabric spray paints.
You can also apply long strips of masking or painters tape directly to the hoodie if you want to make a striped pattern.
Test the spray paint on your drop cloth the first time you spray it to make sure the paint applies in an even spray. Otherwise, the paint may splatter on the hoodie and ruin the design.
Leave the natural color of the hoodie visible on top if you want.
Try setting up a fan on low speed near your hoodie to help speed up the drying process. Avoid hanging the hoodie to let the paint dry since the colors could run and drip.
Avoid touching the iron directly on the paint since you may damage some of the paint or ruin the design.
You can also wash the hoodie by hand if you’re worried about damaging it in your washer.
Avoid putting the hoodie in direct sunlight since it can also damage the paint or cause the design to fade.
