"ho ho ho" t-shirt - day 10 of the 12 crafty days of christmas

so, skirts for the girls.... now a fun appliqued christmas t-shirt for my boy.

it can be really hard to find cute holiday shirts for older boys that don't look babyish.

the best way to get around this is to create one yourself.

here is what you need:

a plain t-shirt (i'm using one from target - affordable and well made)

coordinating fabric

steam a seam

thread (optional)

sewing machine (optional)

my idea was to do a shirt that said "ho ho ho" across it. i had a cricut cartridge called "robotz" that had a really cute font so i just cut an "h" and an "o" about 3 1/2 inches tall to use as my template.
you could also find a font you like online and print it or sketch the letters yourself.

when you have cut your template letters, then you are going to trace them onto a sheet of your steam-a-seam. the important thing to remember about this step is to trace your letters backwards because they are going to be ironed on to the back of your fabric.

next, cut the steam-a-seam around your letters but leave some space around them. 

this makes it easier to cut your letters out of the fabric because you can still see your tracing lines.

then, iron onto the BACK of your fabric.

(follow the instructions on the steam-a-seam packaging)

when that has cooled, cut out your letters.

and peel off the backing.

next, you will place your letters onto your shirt. the great thing about steam-a seam is that it is a little bit tacky on the back so you can place your letters, hold it up and look at it, and then replace them if you need to.

when you are happy with your letter placement, then you will iron your letters onto your shirt. 

(again, follow the instructions on the package.)

if you are not comfortable sewing, you could stop here and you would have a very cute shirt. 

the steam-a-seam will hold the letters on permanently.

i like to add the stitching around the letters because i think it gives it a nice finish.

if you are new to sewing, give it a try!

it's easier than it seems.

i promise!

here is my handsome man in his new christmas shirt!

"he had a broad face and a little round belly, that shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly...."

ho ho ho! :)