I-Love-the-'80s Fringe Fabulous T-shirt

It's springtime, which means one thing to me: T-shirt weather! It's an exciting time over in the Land of Generation T, because as many of you know, it only gets better: After spring comes summer, which means we all get a little more scantily clad -- T-shirts turn into tank tops and tube tops and ooh-la-la! So grab your scissors (to cut away some of that extra fabric, of course), dial up the color (bring on those fabric spray paints), and hop in your fabulous fashion time machine, because fringe is enjoying a bit of a renaissance this season. Last weekend, I dialed back the decades and dug into my craft stash to make some classic '80s-inspired geometric tees.

Materials:
-light-colored T-shirt (I used a light blue one)
-ruler
-masking tape
-fabric scissors
-fabric spray paint (variety of colors)
-scrap newsprint paper


Make it:
1. Lay the T-shirt flat. Use masking tape to mark a horizontal line about 8" up from the bottom of the shirt. Find the vertical center of the shirt and apply tape to the chest-region of the T-shirt to create a crisscrossing geometric pattern.


2. Insert the newsprint paper between the layers of the T-shirt to prevent the paint from bleeding through. Then apply fabric spray paint over the taped area. Apply another color or two, then let dry.


3. Peel back the tape, and then lay down more tape (I cut the tape strips in half, thirds, and quarters to make thinner lines) across your pattern to create a modified plaid pattern. Then spray paint more color!


4. Let dry completely before peeling off the tape to reveal your design.


5. Cut off the bottom hem of the T-shirt, just above the stitching. Then, using the tape marker you pressed down in step 1 as your guide, cut 1/3"- to 1/2"-wide fringe from the bottom edge of the shirt.


6. Cut off the sleeve hems, just above the stitching, and cut out the neckband, just below the neckband edge in the front and the back, and about 2" wider on the sides.


7. Gently tug on the fringe to stretch it out (the fabric edges will curl in). Try it on!


8. Grab up additional T-shirts and experiment with your paint patterns and fringe -- cut it on a diagonal, in a chevron-inspired V-shape, make it long or short!


Then pack a picnic, sling your boombox over your shoulder, and crank up any of the decade's Billboard hits!



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Craft on!

Showing off her inner rocker and love for Adam Lambert!

Debbie, a member of our research and development department, totally rocks out in this awesome tie dye tee! When I asked her if she made it she said, "I saw Adam Lambert wearing one just like this on Idol and I wanted to recreate it!" See his version below!

Looks like by using a few simple tie dye techniques, Debbie totally nailed the look!

If you haven't noticed it already, American Idol is a hot spot for fashion trends. It seems all the contestants like to make bold statements on their jeans or by wearing tie dye creations! And it is really easy to recreate these looks just like Debbie did using Tulip products! All you need to get this particular look is a plain tee (you can get it at a craft store most times for around $3-$4 bucks, sometimes even 2 for $5!), and our Tulip® One-Step Fashion Dyes™.

Regardless if Adam or Chris wins tonight (Debbie is crossing her fingers it is Adam) on American Idol, you can get a rockin' look anytime with our Tulip products just like Debbie did!