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Family Tree Sweatshirt
How to Decorate a Sweatshirt

By Sherri Osborn, About.com Guide

This fun sweatshirt will make a special gift for anyone, idea submitted by Lara.

Materials:

  • 1 Sweatshirt
  • 1 Sponge or paint brush
  • Green, brown, black fabric paint
  • Scotch tape
  • Cardboard

Instructions:
Wash the sweatshirt and then dry it without a fabric softner.

On the sweatshirt place tape where you would like the names to go. (I doubled the heighth of the tape.) Place cardboard inside of sweatshirt.

Take the green paint and paint your leaves. Let dry. (I let mine dry overnight.)

Take the black paint and write in the names. Let dry. (Again, I let mine dry overnight.)

Take the brown paint and make your trunk and branches. Let dry. (Again, I let mine dry overnight.)

Add whatever other touches you want. Like maybe some grass.

I made this sweatshirt for my mother-in-law. On the trunk I put in my in-law's names. Then close to the trunk (in the leaves), I put in their chilren's names with the spouses somewhere close by. Around their names then I add their children's names. (So far, she is just a grandma.) On the side in the grass, I painted a sign that said "est. 1965" for the year they were married. I see her wear it all the time...and I hear good comments that people say about it. (My mother-in-law would not wear the sweatshirt just to please me...ha ha.)

If you want to you don't have to tape off where you want the names to go....you could write it in over the "leaves".

This project is very simple and personal for the recipient. It doesn't take much to do it...just patience to let it dry.

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