DIY Rainbow Heart Shirt

Summer crafting is officially in full force! I love being able to customize shirts for my kids for every season. This summer is all about rainbows, so I used heat press vinyl to create this adorable heart DIY rainbow shirt. The best part? You can do this entire project without the need for a vinyl cutter! Yay!

Supplies needed to make your own DIY rainbow shirt:

• Heat Transfer Vinyl in a Rainbow of Colors
• Tape
• Sharpie 
• Iron
• Pressing Cloth
• Scissors
• T-shrit, tote bag, or apron for your design
• Ruler

Begin by cutting 1” strips of vinyl from your vinyl sheets. To get straight lines I used a rotary cutter and ruler, but you can do this step by hand by drawing a line 1” from the edge with a ruler and then cutting out the vinyl with scissors.

Next, line up all your vinyl strips next to each other with the backing side facing up. And use two pieces of tape to tape the pieces together to form a rainbow sheet.

Next, trace or draw your heart (or any other shape you want) on the plastic backing of the vinyl sheets. Then use the scissors to cut out your design along this line.

Arrange all the pieces into your shape on your wearable (Shirt, apron, tote bag, etc) and cover with the pressing cloth and iron for 30 seconds. Remove the pressing cloth and test each strip to see if it has adhered by trying to remove the plastic backing. If the vinyl comes up with the backing, replace the baking and press again for another 15 seconds until it is adhered.

Once fully adhered, remove the plastic baking and cover with your pressing cloth to give it one final go over with the iron to set the vinyl. This can just be a quick passing of the iron so as to not melt the vinyl.

Once set, your item is ready to use. On this shirt I cut off the sleeves and tied them with a ribbon to make it a little more fitting for my daughter.

This DIY rainbow shirt tutorial can easily be used to create other rainbow shaped designs on any fabric surface of your choice as well. The only limit is your imagination! Now tell me, what would you create?!

Kara

Kara is the owner and designer of Kailo Chic. She loves all things bright, colorful, and patterned. Kara also loves interior design, DIY projects, designing new accessories, gardening, and cooking. A Kailo Chic Life features all of these passions.