How to Puffy Paint a Shirt

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: August 14, 2022

Puffy paint is a popular fabric paint used in crafts. If you're looking for a fun project to do with your kids, you can puffy paint plain t-shirts to create exciting, attractive designs. To start, create your designs using stencils. Then, place the stencil paper over the t-shirt and paint on your design. After making your puffy paint t-shirts, wait for them to dry before wearing and washing them. Making puffy paint t-shirts is a fun way to spend an afternoon and, when you're done, you'll have a fun new t-shirt to enjoy.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Creating Your Designs

1
Print out your images. You can find images online to turn into stencils for your puffy paint t-shirt. If you simply type "stencil images" into a search engine, it should yield plenty of results. You can put any design you want on a puffy paint t-shirt.^{[1]
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- You can put images on your shirts, like hearts and stars.
- You can also print out letters so you can write something like your name on your puffy paint t-shirt.
2
Cut your images out of freezer paper. Once you print your images out, spread the paper with the images on them on a flat surface. Make sure you have something like a mat or some other type of padding between the surface and your paper. Place some freezer paper on top of your images. Use an x-acto knife to slowly cut around your images to create stencils with the freezer paper.^{[2]
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- If you're younger, have a parent cut out the images for you.
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3
Plan on doing some spontaneous designs as well. You do not have to stick strictly to coloring inside your stencils when puffy painting a t-shirt. Get some larger brushes together. You can use these to splatter paint in a fun, spontaneous pattern around your images.^{[3]
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4
Find a safe work area. Puffy paint can get messy, especially if you plan on splattering the paint. Find an open area that's easy to clean and put down things like newspaper over your surface in case paint spills or splatters.^{[4]
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- If possible, work on your puffy paint t-shirts outside to keep mess out of the house.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Painting Your Shirt

1
Iron the freezer paper to the shirt. Place your t-shirt on a flat surface. Place the freezer paper onto the shirt with the shiny side down, positioning it so the design shows up where you want on the shirt. Run an iron over the freezer paper once so it just sticks to the fabric.^{[5]
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- If you don't know how to use an iron, have a parent help you.
2
Squeeze out the puffy paint over the stencils. For puffy paint, you usually do not need a brush.You can squeeze the paint out directly from the bottle.^{[6]
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Research source} Squeeze out the puffy paint to fill in your stencils so you can create the design you want on your shirt.^{[7]
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- You don't have to strictly fill in the stencil using one solid color. You can do something like add small dots inside the stencil of alternating to form a fun, unique design on your t-shirt.
3
Add splatters with soft bristle brushes. If you want to add some spontaneity, squeeze some puffy paint onto a paper plate and dip a soft bristled brush in it. Shake the soft bristle brush over the t-shirt to create a unique, splattered effect on your shirt.^{[8]
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- If you are splattering paint, make sure the surface you're working on is covered in newspaper or a similar protective barrier.
4
Remove the freezer paper. Once you've decorated the shirt to your liking, gently peel off the freezer paper. Do so while the paint is still wet to prevent the freezer paper from drying on your shirt.^{[9]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Caring for Your Puffy Painted Shirt

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Let the paint dry for four hours. Puffy paint usually takes around four hours to dry. Put your t-shirt in a safe place during this time where it will not be disturbed. Keep it flat to prevent the puffy paint from smearing.^{[10]
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2
Wash your shirt after 72 hours. After 72 hours, it's safe to wash your puffy paint t-shirt. Do not wash your t-shirts before the paint has had at least 72 hours, roughly three days, to set.^{[11]
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Take precautions when washing your puffy paint shirt. Turn your puffy paint t-shirt inside out before washing it to preserve the design. Do not use fabric softener when washing a puffy paint t-shirt.^{[12]
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Community Q&A

Question

Do I have to use freezer paper?

Community Answer

It's best to use it so you have a guide when applying the puffy paint, but it's not totally necessary if you feel like you can do it without.
Question

Can I dry a puffy painted shirt in the dryer?

Community Answer

I believe you can, I have a shirt that I used puffy paint on and I've put it in the dryer and nothing is wrong with it. I've had the shirt for about 6 months.
Question

Do I have to wait 72 hours for the paint to set if I use a paintbrush to paint it thinly onto the shirt?

Community Answer

No, it should be dry in about 24 hours if it's a thin coat.