How to Create a Tattoo T-Shirt

People who love body art are constantly finding new ways to incorporate tattoos into their wardrobe. Many tattoo aficionados buy tattoo sleeves that are nylon hosiery worn on the legs and arms to resemble real life tattoos. The same goes for shirts and other articles of clothing that are flesh colored and have art on them to appear as real tattoos. For creating your own tattoo t-shirt, follow this guide and use your great artistic ability to get great results.

Best Supplies to Collect
First things first, gather all needed materials together. You will need nylon material to create sleeves that you will attach to a regular shirt. Pick a standard t-shirt that will match the design you have in mind or go with a neutral or a solid tee. You will also be in need of regular sewing equipment such as thread, needles, fabric scraps, a seam ripper in case you run into errors, and possibly a sewing machine to speed things up. For decorating the shirt, you should obtain cardstock, a pencil or marker, a cutting knife and board, a face mask, tape, an airbrush applicator, and airbrush fabric paint. You will need most if not all of these tools and materials at one point or another.

How to Make Your Tee
Once you’ve gathered everything, you may start the artistic process. You can go online or browse through tattoo catalogues for inspiration or you may do it all freehand if you feel you are accomplished at creating body art. What you will need to do first is create stencils with the cardstock. Sketch your designs on the paper and cut them out with a knife on the cutting board. When you’re satisfied with your designs, you can lay them across the nylon fabric and tape them so they stay. The fabric should be pre-cut so that it fits the length of your arm and is tight enough to cling to your skin and look like an actual tattoo. It should also be placed on top of fabric scraps. Now you can commence airbrushing. Wear proper equipment such as masks and goggles, and put on grubby clothes. You should be a few feet away from the sleeves, but zoom in closer for darker shades and pull the applicator back for lighter shades. When you’ve allowed the nylon to dry all the way, you can sew them into sleeves. Create a hem where the wrist will be and then sew ends of the fabric to make a tube shape. Turn it inside out and sew it onto the shirt. Do the same thing for the other sleeve. Ta-da! You have a tattoo t-shirt ready to be worn and admired due to your artistic prowess.