Painting on Fabric: How to Paint a T-Shirt Step by Step

Fabric paints are a great choice for decorating everything from T-shirts and bags to curtains, tablecloths, and pillows. Every piece is one of a kind. Instead of spending a long time searching for exactly the right fabric, you can simply customize it yourself and give old T-shirts new life. In this guide, you’ll find out what you need to paint on fabric, how to paint a T-shirt step by step, how to heat-set the paint, and how to paint on dark fabric or leather.

What Do You Need to Paint on Fabric?

• Fabric paints – for larger areas; choose them based on whether you’re painting light or dark fabric
• Fabric markers – for lettering, outlines, and details
• Outline paint – for outlines and raised details; it gives the finished piece a more professional look
• Empty applicator bottle – for applying thin lines of fabric paint precisely
• Stencils – if you don’t want to come up with your own design
• Disappearing ink marker – for sketching your motif; the mark disappears on its own
• Fabric glue – if you want to decorate your T-shirt with more than just paints
• Fabric to decorate – for example, a 38 × 42 cm cotton bag

Which Fabric Paints Are Right for You?

Fabric paints are essentially acrylic paints enriched with ingredients that make them flexible and washable. Once dry and heat-set, they stay flexible and won’t crack. You can apply them with a brush or foam brush, stamp them on, or use them with stencils. You can also mix them together and dilute them with water.

A good place to start is the MAMBO Kompozit Set of 9 × 20 ml – the paints are suitable for light and dark textiles, natural and synthetic fabrics, and even leather. Along with regular shades, there are also effect fabric paints, including metallic paints such as Pebeo Setacolor Opaque Shimmer, neon paints, glow-in-the-dark paints, and liquid pearls for details.

Tip: When choosing paints, check whether they are intended for dark or light textiles. Fluid paints for light textiles soak into the fibers, but they won't show up on dark fabric.

How to paint a T-shirt step by step

1. Wash the T-shirt without fabric softener and let it dry. This removes the finish that prevents the paint from soaking in.
2. Put cardboard or parchment paper inside to stop the paint from bleeding through to the back.
3. Sketch the motif with a pencil or an erasable fabric marker. For thinner fabric, just print the design on paper, place it under the T-shirt, and trace it.
4. Paint with a brush, sponge, through a stencil, or with a marker. You can finish the outlines with a liner.
5. Let the paint dry – for example, Pentart paint needs 24 hours.
6. Heat-set with an iron according to the paint instructions (see below).

How to heat-set fabric paint

Heat-setting is what makes fabric paint washable. Once it is completely dry, iron the motif from the reverse side or through parchment paper, choosing a temperature suitable for the material. Check the paint packaging for the time and temperature. For example, Pebeo Setacolor should be ironed for 5 minutes on the cotton setting. Some markers also set on their own when left to air-dry for several days.

Wash heat-set T-shirts inside out. Most paints can withstand washing at up to 40 °C; some, such as KREUL Javana or DARWI markers, can withstand up to 60 °C.

How to paint on dark textiles

On dark fabric, you need opaque paints, such as Pentart 50 ml, which provides coverage in one coat, or opaque markers like KREUL Opak. If that isn't enough, use white paint as a base coat, then paint over it in color.

Tip: You can use bleach to remove the color from the part of the dark textile you plan to paint. This creates unexpected effects, and the paints will stand out more on the bleached area.

How to paint on leather

Use paint for textiles and leather, such as Pentart Textile and Leather or MAMBO Kompozit, or Pebeo Setacolor leather paint for smooth leather, suede, and nubuck. Before painting, wipe the leather with isopropyl alcohol to degrease it and remove waxes or oils. The paint soaks in, does not crack, and does not peel. If you let it dry long enough, the coating will be durable.

Is painting on textiles suitable for kids?

Yes, kids really enjoy it. For the youngest children, there are MUCKI finger paints for textiles, developed for kids ages two and up. Older kids can use KREUL fabric markers for kids. Add stencils to create lovely pictures together. Leave the ironing for heat-setting to an adult.

We hope your textile projects turn out just as you imagined, and we'd love to see what you've made.

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