6 Summer T-shirt Projects you don't want to miss!

Now that summer is upon us, it's time to get your craft on! 

Check out these 6 Must-have T-shirt Projects and be sure to add them to your summer activity to-do list!

6 Summer T-shirt Decorating Projects you don't want to miss! © ShannonSorensen

Decorating your own t-shirts gives you countless numbers of ways to express yourself and makes a perfect lazy day summer activity.

 DIY Summer T-shirt Tutorials

Follow these links to get right to the tutorials
Happy Summer!

1. Stenciled Arrow T-shirt 

Choose from a simple to complex design. All you need is a t-shirt, fabric paint, freezer paper, an exacto knife and an iron.

2. Ink Blot T-shirt 

This project is addicting! You'll get a unique, symmetrical design simply by swirling and blopping paint, folding your t-shirt over and tada! You've got one-of-a-kind ink blot t-shirt! Watch me create a few designs on my YouTubeChannel  

👉Grab your copy of our Ink Blot T-Shirt DIY Guide + Bonus Kids Activity Pages so you can make your own ink blot t-shirt in under an hour! This also makes a great kids birthday party activity!

3. Sunburst Rings Tie Dyed T-shirt

Who doesn't love a good tie dye t-shirt in the summer? The popular sunburst design is easy to create with your favorite color dye and a few rubber bands. Use one color or go crazy with two! Cool designs in a snap!

4. Painted Dots T-shirt 

This cute Painted Dots T-shirt can be made by using a round make-up sponge and your favorite fabric paint. Use round make-up sponges for the dots, or try wedges for a geometric design. The varieties are endless!

5. Key Imprinted T-shirt 

Making your own imprinted design allows you to capture the detail of an object, and transfer it right onto your t-shirt. Whether you use metal keys, or another interesting object from around the house, you'll be amazed at how cool this design method can be!

6. Black Bean Tie Dye T-shirt

Interested in playing around with natural dyes? Who would have thought black beans could create a cool t-shirt dye? I didn't until I tried it. Not only do black beans work well as an all-natural dye, but so do everyday foods like spinach, onions, berries and deep colored spices like turmeric. Although the process requires a little more preparation, it certainly is fun to try!


Once you try some of these fun summer t-shirt decorating projects - I'd love to hear how they turned out!

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Easy Watercolor Painting with Crayola Washable Markers

I have been excited to share this fun watercolor painting technique since Valentine's Day.

I don't claim to be a real watercolor artist, but this is just as fun as if I really knew what I was doing! ha!

If you have Crayola Washable Markers handy, you're already half way there. Just find a paint brush, plastic wrap and a little water and you're good to go!

*This post contains Amazon links. As an Amazon Associate I earn a small commission from items purchased through my links.

Making Your own Watercolor Paints

SUPPLIES:
-Crayola Washable Markers  (Amazon *I like this big pack because it comes with lots of colors)

-Plastic wrap
-Containers of water
-Small paint brushes
-Art work to paint

TIPS:

• The markers have to be WASHABLE so the water-based ink can be diluted in water.
• The smaller the paint brush, the easier it is to paint small spaces.
• I searched for "coloring pages" online and printed these images onto blank cards.
• The more water you add to your paintbrush, the more muted or "water-color-like" your colors will be.
• Paint may trickle off the plastic wrap, so work on a surface that can easily be wiped off.
• If you drip paint on your art where it shouldn't be, just paint over it! (***see below)

DIRECTIONS:
Step 1:
Lay a piece of plastic wrap down on a hard surface. Have containers of water, brushes, markers and artwork ready.

Step 2:
Color markers directly onto plastic wrap.

Step 3:

Dip your brush into clean water.

Step 4:
Dip your wet brush into the marker ink on the plastic wrap. *The more water you add, the more diluted or muted your colors will be. It's fun to try different amounts and even mix colors!

Step 5:
Paint on your artwork, re-dipping your brush in water and color as needed.

Here's the finished owl card.

***And see those little hearts to the side? Those used to be red paint smudges that I just turned into hearts. So easy to cover up little mistakes and no one would ever know. Except now they will, but whatever.

  

I love the vibrancy and variety of paint colors, much brighter and diverse than you can find in regular little watercolor paint sets.

If you'd like watch and learn? I've included video tutorials of me painting the owl and cupcake cards on my youtube channel.

Try it yourself! If I can paint watercolors then anyone can!♥

{Watch} me paint the Owl card


{Watch} me paint the Cupcake card

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Fun Children's Birthday Party or Summer Camp Activity

It doesn't feel like summer yet, does it?
Not unless you live in South America or Southern Australia.

At this point, in the throws of icy cold January, I'm not opposed to relocating!

It's hard to believe summer camps are already planning for summer activities, but they are. The after-school program I work for is already gearing up for summer. We always have to be one step ahead of everyone else to get the best activities booked, most creative summer camp crafts announced and supplies purchased, before you can say, "Martin Luther King Day"!

My favorite children's birthday party idea or summer camp craft has to be 

making Ink Blot T-shirts! 

We had so much fun with our 50 Kids: 50 Ink Blot T-shirts project that I'm sharing it with summer camps and aging children everywhere!

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👉 If you want a simple, printable guide with step-by-step instructions and bonus activity pages for kids, you can get it here:
[Ink Blot T-Shirt DIY Guide + Kids Activity Pages]

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Ink blot t-shirt making is a great children's birthday party idea! Keeps all those busy hands occupied and they get to leave with a fun party souvenir.

It only took me 7 months (ha!), but I finally put together this little video of our Ink Blot T-shirt making activity. It really was so much fun. The kids still proudly wear their t-shirts to school!

{WATCH} To see how much fun it is to make Ink Blot T-shirts with kids!





If you, or someone you know, is looking for a fun birthday party idea or summer camp craft, share this post with them! There are plenty of ink blots to go around! 

👉 👉 Get the Ink Blot Guide for $7 (Instant Download) 

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Design Your Own T-Shirt: Ink Blot T-Shirt Guide for One-of-a-Kind Designs

Updated for 2026: I’ve updated this post to include my step-by-step Ink Blot T-Shirt Guide (with bonus activity pages) to make it even easier to create your own designs at home.

Would you believe these t-shirts all started with random paint blobs?

It sounds a little crazy… but it’s completely true.

What starts as a few drips and splatters turns into something totally unexpected—and that’s the magic of ink blot design.

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How to Design Your Own Ink Blot T-Shirt

• Pick your paint colors
• Imagine what you think your design will look like
• Then be ready to be surprised (because it probably won’t turn out that way… and that’s the best part)

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The truth is—this process requires:

✔ Very little planning
✔ Absolutely no artistic skill

(Seriously… anyone can do this.)

Every design ends up completely one of a kind. Once you choose your colors, the rest is up to chance—and no two shirts will ever be the same.

That’s what makes it so fun… and honestly, a little addictive.

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Make Your Own Ink Blot Designs

I created a simple step-by-step guide so you can try this at home:

👉 Ink Blot T-Shirt DIY Guide
Includes easy instructions + bonus kids activity pages

It walks you through exactly what you need and how to do it—whether you’re making one shirt or turning it into a full-on activity.

Perfect for:

• Rainy day projects
• Creative afternoons
• Kids and adults (yes… adults get hooked too 😄)

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Ready to try it for yourself?

👉 Grab your guide and start creating your own one-of-a-kind ink blot designs today.

 [See more ink blot t-shirt designs here]

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