Hi! My name is Jen and I blog over at Monkey See, Monkey Do! I love doing crafty things and especially have gotten into making things for my little boy and our new baby on the way! I like to make gifts for other friends’ kids, too, but I try and take the “Frugal” route. Sewing and crafting can be really expensive if you let it, but I have lots of ideas on my blog for using materials already on hand!

Since I’ve been blessed with a super adorable son, I like to come up with ideas for decorating the things I’ve made for him! It seems like flowers and ribbons are a lot easier to use for embellishment purposes than boy ideas, though. After lots of brainstorming, I decided to try fabric stamping to make some cute things for my little boy.

Here is an example of what I’ve made so far:

Please note, I did make the shirts (except for the front right one). I made them all from old t-shirts and drafted my own pattern. I’m working on getting the tutorial together for that project!
What will you need to stamp your own shirts? Find (or make!) a pile of plain t-shirts.
Get some scraps, too so you can practice! This stuff is permanent. 

I used fabric paint. Not the puffy stuff.

I used foam stamps. I found some fun ‘boy-appropriate’ ones at the craft store. I spent around $10 for the paint and the stamps.


I used a brush to paint the stamp. I did this to ensure it was evenly coated with paint.
Then I stamped my fabric! Practice on scraps first. Make sure the fabric is FLAT. If you’re stamping a shirt, put a piece of cardboard between the front and back to prevent bleeding.
I did practice and my images still didn’t turn out perfectly, but I think it gives them character. I do recommend pulling up the stamp quickly, yet not TOO suddenly or you’ll splatter the paint.


Hang on to your leftover paint. I’ve got some other ideas coming up for stamping more boy items you can sew!
 ~ Jen