Halloween DIY Trick or Treat T-shirt and Canvas Tote

Published by 3C Style

Scientific journalist, author and fashion blogger from Montreal - Journaliste scientifique, auteure et blogueuse mode de Montréal View all posts by 3C Style

Halloween is right at the corner. If you’re anything like me you must LOVE -read “be obsessed with”- this holiday. So, you took your pumpkins out, decorated your home and front door, sent out the party invites and even planned a menu that will friendly spook your guests. Everything is ready; the scene is set for when your friends and the neighbourhood kids ring your doorbell. Perfect! Well almost… You just don’t feel like dressing up in a costume. BOO!

No worries. I’ve got an outfit idea that will have you carry on the spirit of Halloween, without the fuss of putting on weird clothing and make-up. This awesome Black Cat artwork from Lisa Lawrence over at Lismore paper (see image below) makes a great October 31 theme T-shirt. Just have it print on a tee or better yet do it yourself with an iron-on transfer paper. Wear it with your favourite jeans or skirt and some Gothic glamour jewelry and Voilà! You are ready to have fun. While you’re at it why don’t you DIY a few Take-Home Totes your guests will love. This quick-to-make favor can also be use as a Halloween candy bag. Hope I’ll inspire you to make these at home.

Photography and DIY by 3C Style –– Stylist: Dominique Nancy –– Artwork & design copyright Lisa Lawrence, Lismore Paper

Trick or Treat T-shirt and Canvas Tote

You will need a T-shirt and a canvas Tote, iron-on transfer paper, and Lisa’s downloadable design for these quick-to-make Halloween projects. The T-shirt and Tote were easy to do. See the instructions in the link below. If you print the design from your own inkjet printer don’t forget to:

1. Pick the right paper type for the job according to the colour of fabric you’ll use. Light fabric requires light paper and vice versa.

2. Switch your printer to mirror mode if you are printing on light colours.

3. Make sure you set the paper correctly in your printer tray to print on the correct side.

For the iron-on transfer part, I have follow the instructions here.

The Halloween Candy Bag

It should have been easy as 1, 2, 3… BUT (there is always a BUT, right?) the experience was a bit frightening. Let’s just say I goofed-up. I had no problem with the canvas tote. The iron-on transfer paper works well on such fabric. But I wanted to use a recycled bag with a bold colour for the Halloween candy bag. It didn’t go the way it should. I mean, not the way I thought it would. To make a story short just know that if you opt for a recycled bag you better make sure the fabric isn’t made of plastic! Otherwise, you won’t be able to apply motifs to it with an iron. It is simply too warm for this type of material. It burns! Yep, I should have checked that the material used for heat transfer was able to withstand high heat. Duh! What can I say, mistakes can happen. Thankfully, I didn’t burn anything else in the house. After that fun (My hubby, a.k.a. The Laboratory Rat, did have a good laugh), I opted for a conservative approach… decal! It works but permanence won’t be possible in this case. Oh well, I’ll do another one next year.

If you go with a decal for your Halloween candy bag, follow these steps below.

1. Remove the air bubbles that may have formed on your decal by rubbing a credit card firmly across the sticker. This will prepare for its application.

2. Peel the white paper of the back of the sticker.

3. Apply the sticker onto the surface of the bag and rub it in place with a credit card. It’s done!

If you are using a clear decal, proceed with step 4.

4. Peel slowly the clear transfer tape off at an angle. Proceed with caution. If the sticker pulls away from the fabric, just repeat step 3.

Note: If DIY is not your cup of tea, just have Lisa’s artwork framed. Her Black Cat poster is perfect to create an inexpensive mood vignette in your house.

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the next edition of When Fashion and Nature Collide on October 17th. Hope you’ll come laugh and celebrate the Fall season with us. See our September Issue.

Happy Halloween!

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