two string jane » DIY

Mollie Makes x two string jane – Print Your own Tee

Alyssa Zukas — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 19:31:54 +0000

Just found out Mollie Makes put up my stencil cutting and printing tutorial on their website! Check out the post below to make your own DIY stenciled t-shirt or grab the new featured “Mix It Up” tee in the shop!

Print your own typography tee

Print your favourite saying on a plain tee with a little help from Alyssa Zukas of Two String Jane.

Nothing beats stumbling upon a DIY that doesn’t require buying materials: this t shirt printing tutorial is one of them. What’s more, the only lengthy part to this project is cutting out the design, after that it’s a simple case of dabbing your way to the finish line. This printing technique can be used on cotton fabrics, too – great for personalising sewing projects. Put on some tunes while you craft, here’s a playlist.

You will need:

Free template
T-shirt or vest
A blade
A cutting surface
Tape
Transparency film or freezer paper
Two small sponges
Two fabric paint shades
Tin foil

Tip: Try practicing on spare fabric first to get the hang of using a stencil.

Step 1
Tape the template design to a piece of film or freezer paper, and place on your cutting surface.

Step 2
Carefully cut the film, tracing the design as closely as possible.

Step 3
Once your stencil is complete, place on your t-shirt and secure with tape. Place a sheet of foil inside to protect the reverse.

Step 4
Coat your sponge with a small amount of paint.

Step 5
Sponge paint the first colour onto the shirt inside the stencil, using even pressure. Start around the edges and work towards the centre. Gently use a downward stamping motion to apply the paint. Do not wipe.

Step 6
Paint the second colour using a fresh sponge, working towards the middle. Gently blend the colours together in the middle to create a smooth gradient.

Step 7
Allow to air dry or use a hair dryer before peeling the stencil.

Featured in Mollie Makes : Mix It Up!

Alyssa Zukas — Sat, 21 Jun 2014 19:54:24 +0000

So excited to be featured in Mollie Makes upcoming “Retro Vibes” issue number 42! Check out my stenciling tutorial to make your own DIY stenciled t-shirt in the magazine and grab the new featured “Mix It Up” tee in the shop!

New Cutter!

Alyssa Zukas — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 07:07:11 +0000

So my husband finally convinced me that this Etsy business of mine is getting pretty serious and it’s time to get some help. That help comes in the form of the KNK zing plotter and I have to say, it’s pretty amazing. It’s definitely going to make my life better with constant stencil re-cuts. Check out this super sweet papercut birthday card we designed! I can smell possibility in the air

Before and After – Sharpie Tattoo Sewing Table Desk

Alyssa Zukas — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 20:20:25 +0000

After doing a bit of moving and downsizing lately I found that I didn’t end up needing my old sewing cabinet for my machine. The amount of sewing I do is more on a hobby level… hemming pants for my husband and repairing this and that. A few years before I had done the work of sanding the whole cabinet to bare wood but I had just left it there. I had the idea to do custom staining on the top, maybe with some nice fancy hand-lettering but I never got around to it. It seems the best laid plans get better over time if you stew on them for a while.

After a trip to the Salvation Army, my husband and I came across some awesome art by a former Disney Illustrator. It hand drawn in pen in super sketchy psychedelic style. Kinda mind-blowing all the detail that was put into them. There were two dog paintings and 2 landscape style paintings. I was totally inspired.

Thinking about how to translate that onto the desk, I knew there were stain pens out there. But then I remembered an article about someone sharpie doodling all over a Lamborghini. That was it, I pulled out my sharpies and got to work.

Here’s what I came up with:

Front of the desk: Faux Drawer (ceci n’est pas un tiroir)

Top of the desk with foldout leaves: tattoo art

Back of the Desk: Nothing to See Here

Side of the desk: Port Side

Side of the desk: Starboard

Detail of Snake on the leg

The Rare and Elusive Boxing Glove Squirrel Tailed Cactus

Alyssa Zukas — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 18:46:38 +0000

So my hubs and I were browsing Marukai (formerly super 98 cents Marukai) and found this totally kickin’ fake cactus. It totally had arm-like looking appendages ripe for decorating. So we brought him home, made some clay boxing gloves for him and stuffed a little brown squirrel tail for his backside. Although it looks like he is outgrowing his planter enclosure as it’s cracking down one side. Hopefully I don’t have to re-plant him.

My New Business Cards!

Alyssa Zukas — Fri, 13 May 2011 17:16:11 +0000

Printed up some awesome new business cards at the International Printing Museum with metal type! I can’t get enough of the museum. It’s my new playground. Check out the full post on my husband’s blog HERE.

DIY – Hand Latch Hooked Psychedelic Shag Rug

Alyssa Zukas — Fri, 13 May 2011 17:04:59 +0000

Diagram from Encyclopedia of Good Decorating and Home Improvement – 1 (A-AME) pg. 92-93

I don’t know if anyone knew this, I used to be a hook-er. Latch hook-er that is! Har har. Last year I decided to take on my first real rug hooking project (besides the happy face rainbow ones from childhood). I got the idea while looking through one of my Good Decorating and Home Improvement books. In it was a guide on making a rug into a back-lit wall hanging. I knew I had to try and make this rug! So I bought some precut acrylic yarn, a dense 5 mesh 36″ x 60″ canvas and grabbed my old latch hook tool. I printed the design at full scale, gridded it out, traced it on the canvas and made a color legend so I knew which colors went where. The finished rug took about 9 months!

Studded Loafers On Holier than Now!

Alyssa Zukas — Fri, 28 May 2010 19:41:27 +0000

My Studded Loafers were featured on Holier than Now today in the “Weekend Web Crawl – beautiful things online”. Thanks so much to them for promoting my DIY studding abilities and repping my Etsy store!

Check out the original post here and the shoes on Etsy here =)

Get Your Own Custom Studded TOMS Classics Shoes!

Alyssa Zukas — Sat, 22 May 2010 18:42:05 +0000

I recently custom studded a pair of Mens TOMS Classics in black with silver studs and thought I’d share pics of them with everyone. If you’d like me to stud a pair for you feel free to contact me here or on my Etsy Shop page! More pics below!

Studded Loafers On C’est Classique!

Alyssa Zukas — Tue, 04 May 2010 02:34:57 +0000

I recently had the pleasure of making a pair of Spikey Studded Loafers for Kaila of C’est Classique and am super excited to see she did a featurette on her site cestclassique.blogspot.com all about them! Love the way she styled them with her outfit.

Thanks so much for promoting my DIY studding abilities and repping my Etsy store!

Check out the original post here and the shoes on Etsy here and get a piece of history =)