Designing A Homestuck T-Shirt: A Guide

If you're a fan of Homestuck and want to show off your love for the webcomic, why not try making your own t-shirt? It's a fun and easy DIY project that can be done on a budget. All you need is a plain t-shirt, some fabric paint or markers, a template of your chosen design, and a bit of time and patience. You can find free templates online, or create your own if you're feeling creative. Once you've gathered your materials, simply trace or print your design onto the shirt, let it dry, and you're ready to rock your unique Homestuck t-shirt!

Choosing a design

Character Affiliation:

Decide whether you want to showcase your affiliation with a particular character from Homestuck. For example, if you're a fan of characters like Kanaya, Dave, Terezi Pyrope, or Dirk Strider, you can choose to incorporate their symbols or iconic elements into your T-shirt design.

Symbol Complexity:

Consider the complexity of the symbol you want to use. Some characters, like Kanaya and Gamzee, have more intricate symbols that may require additional steps or techniques to accurately reproduce on a T-shirt. Simpler designs, such as the symbols for Eridan or Vriska, might be more suitable for beginners or those looking for a quicker project.

Colour Scheme:

Take into account the colour scheme of your design. Homestuck characters often have distinct colour associations, such as the purple associated with Eridan or the red associated with Terezi Pyrope. Choose colours that not only represent the character but also complement the base colour of your T-shirt.

Personal Expression:

Feel free to add your own creative flair to the design. You can experiment with different colour combinations, add text, or modify the symbol to make it unique to you. Remember, this is a fan-made T-shirt, so expressing your personal style is encouraged!

Availability of Materials:

When choosing a design, consider the materials you have available or can easily access. Some designs may require specific colours or types of fabric markers, paint, or iron-on transfers. Ensure that you have the necessary materials to execute your chosen design effectively.

Symbol Placement:

Think about where you want to place the symbol on your T-shirt. Will it be centred on the chest, positioned on the upper back, or perhaps displayed proudly across the shoulders? Consider the overall layout and how the symbol will look on the shirt once it's completed.

Remember to respect the copyright holder's wishes and only create these T-shirts for personal use, not for profit. With these tips in mind, you're well on your way to choosing a fantastic design for your Homestuck T-shirt!

Selecting materials

When selecting materials to make your own Homestuck t-shirt, the first thing to consider is what type of t-shirt you want to use as your base. Craft stores often carry very inexpensive shirts (around $6) that are specifically designed for painting on/dyeing. If you're making a Homestuck troll or kid shirt, you can easily find white and black t-shirts, but if you're creating a God Tier shirt, you'll probably need to dye the shirt to get the right colour.

If you need to dye your shirt, you can use a fabric dye such as Rit Dye. Go to their website or a similar fabric dye website and either get a bottle of dye that matches the colour you want, or use their colour guide to find the right shade. Then, simply follow the instructions on the dye to colour your shirt. If you don't want to dye a shirt, you can buy a pre-coloured shirt from websites such as Hanes, which carry most God Tier colours.

For the design, you'll need some fabric paint. One suggested brand is Tulip. You can also use fabric markers, such as Decofabric and Marvy Fabric Markers. If you're using markers, try to get a shade that's a little lighter than the intended colour, as they tend to go on quite dark.

If you want to use a template for your design, you can use freezer paper and a printed template of your chosen design. You'll also need an x-acto knife and some painter's tape (optional). Cut the template and freezer paper to size, then use the x-acto knife to cut out the design from the freezer paper. Place the template on your shirt, then iron it down—the freezer paper will stick until you pull it up again. You can then paint over the template, and remove the freezer paper once the paint is dry.

Alternatively, you can use a small swatch of cotton fabric in the colours of your chosen design, along with some double-sided, iron-on Heat-n-Bond and a paper cut-out of your design. Wash the fabric and t-shirt with detergent and let them dry, then iron the Heat-n-Bond to the fabric. Trace and cut out your design onto the Heat-n-Bond/fabric combo, then iron the pieces onto your t-shirt.

Preparing the fabric

Firstly, you will need to gather your materials. For this method, you will require a plain black t-shirt, fabric markers, a hairdryer, aluminium foil, an exacto-knife, detergent, and a printed template of your chosen design. It is recommended to use a fabric marker in white and the colour of your chosen Homestuck symbol. If you are creating a more intricate design, such as Kanaya or Gamzee's signs, using aluminium foil and an exacto-knife to create a template is advised.

Before you begin designing your t-shirt, it is vital to wash your fabric. Wash your t-shirt and coloured fabric with detergent and let them dry. This step ensures that any excess dye is removed, preventing the colours from bleeding onto your t-shirt. Additionally, washing will allow the fabrics to shrink to their normal size, avoiding shrinkage and wrinkling issues later on.

Now, let's move on to creating the design layout. If you are using aluminium foil, cut out the design with an exacto-knife to create a template. Alternatively, you can print a reference image of the chosen design and use it as a guide for the placement and size of the symbol on your t-shirt. Once you are satisfied with the layout, you can start filling in the template with the white marker. Remember to place something inside the shirt to prevent the colour from bleeding through to the other side.

At this point, grab your hairdryer and start drying the paint. Once the paint is completely dry, go over the design with the white marker again, repeating this process as many times as needed. Ensure that the black fabric is no longer visible. It is important to be patient during this step, as it may take multiple layers to achieve the desired opacity.

After achieving a solid white symbol, it's time to add the colour. Using the fabric marker in your chosen colour, go over the white design. Repeat this step at least four times, allowing the marker to dry between each application. Remember, Homestuck trolls' blood is not neon, so avoid making the colour too bright.

Finally, dry the shirt one more time and use your template to ensure that all areas of the design are adequately filled in. Congratulations! You have successfully prepared the fabric for your Homestuck t-shirt.

Applying the design

Now that you've gathered your materials and washed your T-shirt and fabric, it's time to start creating your Homestuck T-shirt!

Step 3: Attach the Iron-on Paper

Cut out a square of fabric that's large enough to accommodate your chosen Homestuck icon. Cut out matching-sized squares of double-sided, iron-on Heat-n-Bond paper. Following the package instructions, carefully iron the Heat-n-Bond paper onto the fabric. This will serve as the base for your design.

Step 4: Trace and Trim

Print out a copy of your chosen Homestuck icon and cut it out. Flip the paper over and trace the outline of the icon onto the black fabric attached to the Heat-n-Bond paper. If your icon has multiple colours, cut out the different sections of the print-out and trace them onto the correspondingly coloured fabric pieces. Carefully cut out the shapes with scissors or an X-acto knife.

Step 5: Iron Them All Together

Peel off the paper backing from your fabric pieces. Start with the black outline shape and slowly iron it onto the T-shirt according to the Heat-n-Bond package instructions. Once the first shape has cooled down, carefully place and iron on the coloured shape. Finally, iron on the smallest details, such as eyes or other small elements.

Let your design cool down, and you're almost done!

Drying and Care Instructions

Before wearing your new Homestuck T-shirt, allow it to dry completely. It is recommended to wait at least 10 hours before wearing and about 48 hours before washing. When it's time to wash the shirt, turn it inside out and use a gentle cycle for the first two to three washes. After that, you can treat it like a regular shirt and wash it normally. Always wash in cold water to prevent the glue from melting and the design from peeling off.

Setting the design

Materials

Firstly, you'll need to gather your materials. For this method, you will need:

• A plain black t-shirt (or white, depending on your design)
• Fabric markers in the appropriate colours for your design
• A hairdryer
• Aluminium foil and an exacto-knife (optional)

Design Layout

Before you begin drawing on your t-shirt, it's a good idea to plan out your design layout. You can do this by cutting out a template from aluminium foil using an exacto-knife. This step is especially useful if you're creating a more complex design, such as Kanaya or Gamzee's signs. Alternatively, you can print a reference image of the design you want to create and use it as a guide for placing your symbol on the t-shirt.

Drawing the Design

Now it's time to start drawing your design onto the t-shirt. If you're using a template, place it on the t-shirt and fill in the outline with a white fabric marker. Let the paint dry, and then go over it again with the white marker to ensure complete coverage. Repeat this process with your chosen colour fabric marker, layering the paint until you achieve the desired vibrancy. It's important to note that Homestuck trolls don't have neon blood, so avoid making the colour too bright.

Drying and Care

Once you're happy with your design, it's time to let it dry. Hang the shirt up or lay it flat and let it air dry for at least 10 hours before wearing it. When it comes to washing your new Homestuck t-shirt, wait at least 48 hours before the first wash. Turn the shirt inside out and put it in the washing machine on a gentle cycle for the first two to three washes. After that, you can treat it like a normal shirt!

Alternative Method: Heat-n-Bond

If you're looking for a different method that involves heat transfer, you can try the Heat-n-Bond technique. For this method, you will need:

• Cotton fabric swatches in the colours of your icon
• Double-sided, iron-on Heat-n-Bond
• A paper cut-out of your icon

Start by washing your t-shirt and fabric swatches with detergent and letting them dry. This step is important to prevent excess dye from bleeding onto your shirt and to ensure that the fabrics are pre-shrunk to avoid wrinkling issues later. Cut out squares of Heat-n-Bond paper and iron them onto the fabric swatches according to the package instructions. Then, trace and cut out your icon design onto the Heat-n-Bond/fabric combo.

Peel off the paper backing from your fabrics and begin ironing the pieces onto your t-shirt, starting with the black outline and then adding the coloured shape on top. Finally, iron on the smallest shapes, like eyes or other details. And that's it! Your Homestuck t-shirt design is complete and ready to be shown off!

Frequently asked questions