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Make Your Own Patriotic Shirts

By Jennifer Hill January 1, 2023


My kids love decorating shirts for different holidays. We actually made these for 9/11 one year, but they’d be perfect for the 4th of July too.

What you need:

White T-shirts

Fabric Paint (we used red, blue and silver)

Piece of cardboard or empty cereal box

Baby wipes

Optional: Star stamps (I found some at the craft store)

What you do:

1. Line the inside of the shirt with the cardboard/cereal box to keep the paint from bleeding through to the back. 

2. Make the flag “handprint” first. Have the child hold their right hand flat with all fingers and thumbs together. Paint a small blue square at the base of the thumb. Then paint the pointer and ring fingers red and the middle finger and pinky silver. 

3. Press the hand onto middle of the shirt and press it down. Lift their hand straight up. Use a baby wipe to get most of the paint off before washing. 

4. (Optional) Use stamps with the fabric paint and stamp on the shirt. Or create your own embellishments with the paint.

5. Allow to dry and wear with pride.