The materials needed to complete this kid-friendly project are the following:

• Elmer’s Blue Gel Glue (it must be the blue gel, white won’t work)
• Fabric Dye (RIT is my tried and true brand)
• A white cotton Tee, Tank, Dress etc.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://www.u-createcrafts.com/2011/08/creative-guest-watermark-tee-by-sweet.html

Scott Holden built this amazing tauntaun costume  and put his build log online. Don’t know what a tauntaun is? Learn to Empire Strikes Back.

[ link ] [ via ]

Make your own detergent ad fabric softener using easy to find ingredients.  You’ll save money: this detergent is about 20% the cost of the leading brand (The four letter word in the bright orange box). After all, it’s the consumer who pays for the endless TV commercials! By making your own soap, you pay for what its worth, not the salary of marketing execs.

Borax can be hard to find in certain locales. I know it’s available at your local Éco-quartier for those who live in Montréal. It should be available at any natural products store. You can also find it at the world’s largest retailer (yeah, that one) but try the other sources first, as the large retailer doesn’t treat its employees very well.

Do It Yourself Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softener [link][via][via]

Clarissa, Knitter-Extraordinaire, explains with great detail (if you understand knitting – I wouldn’t know) how to knit a very nice R2D2 hat.

I wish I had one.

Knit your own R2D2 Hat [link][via]

Yes, this is _another_ DIY silkscreening tutorial. I find them interesting because DIY silkscreening is easy to do and creates very interesting and original results.  Be original.

Ghetto Silkscreening [link]

While most hardcore bike messengers/couriers are made out of nearly indestructible Cordura®, one can use other recycled materials to build a custom courier bag. You can use the fabric from the vinyl banners that you see at public events (the ones with the moon-shaped cut-outs that let the wind through. Just wait until the event is over and swiftly “borrow” a giant vinyl banner. Cutters will be a must, as those vinyl signs are often fastened using tie-wraps (zip-ties).

Another possibility is using garbage bags, which are welt together using a simple technique that anyone can do at home. I tried the technique demonstrated in Bre Pettis’ Weekend Projects podcast (the second link) and it works out great. Turns out that garbage bags can be turned in a rugged waterproof fabric.

DIY Messenger Bag out of Re-purposed Vinyl Signs [link]

DIY Messenger Bag out of Garbage Bags [link]

This is yet another instructable on t-shirt printing. This on uses sticky paper and silkscreen ink. Nice, simple, and seems to work pretty well too.

T-Shirt Stenciling [link]

This is a really neat idea: hold a few keys together using pop rivets and washers. I can’t really say anything more because the design is so simple!

Simple and Elegant Keychain [link] [via]

Today, I bring you two other t-shirt tutorials. The first one shows you how to reproduce retro silk screening with simple tools you probably already have. The result is nice: a crackly old-school retro look. The second one shows a more advanced technique that produces cleaner results.

Time to get out your old t-shirts and brng them back to life.

T-Shirt Fake Retro Silkscreening [link]

T-Shirt Stencil [link]

A nice instructable that shows you how to make your own stenciled t-shirt. I’ve done this, and for a first attempt, it wasn’t too bad. Didn’t use the freezer paper though, but will do next time. I used 3 colors, hence 3 stencils, but the acrylic paint would crack. Since then, I’ve bought a bottle of Liquitex Fabric Medium, which reduces the rigidity of the paint once it dries.

Also, if you’re applying paint on a dark shirt, you’ll need to do a light base coat or  apply several layers. Your mileage may vary as each paint/color has its own opacity and pigment concentration.

This technique is not limited to T-shirts to let your imagination run wild!

How to Stencil a T-shirt with Freezer Paper [link]

Instructions on how to make a nice sleeve for the iPod Nano made from an recycled bicycle inner tube. Simple, functional, elegant.

iPod Nano Case from a Bike Inner-tube [link]