Kid's Future Olympian T-Shirt with Artesprix

Hi again, Sarah here with a fun new post! My family, like many others, have been spent time watching the Olympics on television this month. My daughter had a little peek into what it takes to train for the Olympics. The US Olympic Women’s hockey team practiced at the same ice arena that she plays hockey, so she was able to watch a couple practices. Her school is also across from the parking lot from the rink, so on the day the women’s team left for China, the whole school lined up and waved goodbye to them as they drove to the airport on their bus. Later that day, she told me that she wanted to play in the Olympics when she was older. That is where the inspiration for this project came from.

What is Artesprix Iron-on-Ink?
Artesprix Sublimation Markers have endless possibilities. They are so simple to use, and you do not need any fancy equipment. All you need is the markers or stamp pad, some copy paper, a heat source, and a sublimation blank.

Materials:
Youth T Shirt
Sublimation Markers 
Copy Paper
Heat Tape
Protective paper
Heat Press or Iron
Sublimation Printer (Optional) 
Step-by-Step Tutorial:
Step 1: Since my potential design area is large, I just eyeballed how big the design needed to be. It is for my 6-year-old daughter so it did not need to be huge, but I did not want it to be too small either.

Step 2: For this project, I used what is also known as the “cheat" method. I printed mirrored outline of fonts using my sublimation printer. I printed them onto plain copy paper. Ensuring my font colors as close to my marker colors as possible. 
If you do not have a Sublimation Printer but want to create mirrored text you can color in too, you can use your Silhouette machine! Use the sketch feature to create the design. Check out this post on my blog for more information on how to sketch with your silhouette.  

Step 3: It’s time to start coloring your design. While I was coloring this design, I had my two boys sitting next to me and they NEVER stay still. It’s a miracle that I did not have a ton of stray lines all over. But my coloring was a success. 

Step 4: Pre-heat your Heat Press to 370°F. 
Step 5: While you are waiting for your heat source to reach temperature, prepare the design for transfer. The first thing you want to do is use a lint roller on the shirt to make sure there is nothing that will interfere with the design transfer. After lint rolling, make sure that the design is straight on the shirt.
Pro Tip: Fold the shirt in half and press a “line” down the center of my shirt. Then fold the copy paper in half and line up the fold line and the press line to make sure my design is centered.

Step 6: Secure your design in place using Artesprix Heat Resistant Tape. 

Step 7: Next, create your sublimation sandwich. A sublimation sandwich is made up of a layer of protective paper, your blank with the design secured to it, and another piece of protective paper. For shirt transfers, put another piece of protective paper inside the shirt so the ink does not transfer onto the back of the shirt.
Step 8: Place the sublimation sandwich on your press. Once your heat source has reached 370°F, press your shirt for 35 seconds. When the time is up, do a peek test to make sure you got a good transfer. 

Step 9: Once you have confirmed your transfer was successful, remove the project from the heat press. And remove the copy paper and heat tape.

I hope you enjoyed this project as much as I did. I can’t wait to see what you create. My daughter was so excited about this shirt. She makes sure to wear it every chance she gets.

For more inspiration don’t forget to check out other blog posts, like this one by Alison using the drawstring bag or this one by Erica using keychains.  As always, be sure to join the Iron-on-ink Inspirational Group on Facebook. You can see what others are creating and share your projects. 
Until next time,
Sarah Clark
**This post may contain affiliate links. That means that I may receive compensation if you purchase through the links I have provided. The price you pay for the product or service is not higher, but I may get compensated for sharing. **