Jazzing up a plain tee

I bought this plain emerald green long-sleeved tee last fall with the intention of adding some leaf prints in metallic colors.  Well, I finally got around to it!

Here's what I did:

Find some nicely shaped leaves - I chose maple leaves in a variety of sizes.  Apply a thin layer of acrylic paint to the back of the leaf with a foam brush (using the leaf back gives you more veining detail).  I used basic craft-store paints and premixed them with fabric medium so they don't impart that stiff, plastic feeling onto the shirt.  Take the painted leaf and place it paint-side down on your prewashed 100% cotton shirt.  Cover the leaf with a paper towel and rub it smooth to get a good print.

Carefully peel the leaf off the shirt and voila` - autumn has arrived!  Heat-set the dried, painted shirt with a hot iron (iron on the reverse or cover with a piece of baking parchment) and it should be safe for washing.

Here's my completed shirt.  I'm looking forward to the leaves changing so I can start wearing it.  If you've never tried this printing technique, give it a try!  If you want to start small, a scarf would be an easy and smart seasonal accessory.  I've done leaf prints on table linens as well, which makes a nice accent for a holiday table.  Have fun!