Monthly Archives: March 2012

Basic Crayon T-Shirt Art Tutorial

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Art is a great fun activity for kids, but did you know that you could turn it into something even more creative? You can turn your child’s crayon art into an amazing t-shirt art.

This tutorial will teach you two ways to put a child’s crayon artwork onto a t-shirt. The first method is through the Color-on-Shirt Method:

Materials:

  • Pre-washed cotton t-shirt
  • Piece of Card board for inserting inside the shirt
  • Crayola crayons or Fabric crayons
  • Gentle brush
  • Wax paper
  • Flat iron

Directions:

  1. Pre-wash and dry the t-shirt to avoid sizing and shrinkage
  2. Place the card board inside the shirt and let your child color directly on the shirt fabric. (Let your child use fabric crayons; Crayola crayons will also do – there’s something in its wax formula that makes it work.)
  3. After your child’s crayon art is done, brush off the excess crayons you don’t want to include in the t-shirt design.
  4. Then, place a wax paper on to the artwork, shiny side down. Do not remove the card board inside the shirt, and then set the flat iron on to Cotton setting.
  5. Iron press on to the paper without moving the iron back-and-forth. Press firmly until all of the crayon design is pressed permanently on to the shirt, but being careful not to scorch the fabric.

Another way to make crayon art t-shirt is through the Transfer Method. For this method, you will use the following materials:

Materials:

  • Pre-washed synthetic blend t-shirt
  • Piece of Card board for inserting inside the shirt
  • Fabric crayons or Crayola crayons
  • Freezer paper or any type of white paper
  • Flat iron

Instructions:

  1. Let your child color a piece of freezer paper or any type of white paper. He or she would need to color heavily so that enough of the crayon will be transferred on to the t-shirt. (Remember that the artwork would be a mirror image of the shirt’s final design. Letterings would need to be done backwards.)
  2. Next, place a piece of card board inside the synthetic blend t-shirt
  3. Lay the colored-on paper on to the t-shirt, crayoned side down.
  4. Iron the design onto the back side of the crayoned paper, pressing firmly until the crayon artwork has been transferred completely onto the shirt. Resist the urge to lift the crayoned paper until you are sure that the design transfer is finished, else the t-shirt fabric will tend to shift and you could end up with a design that does not look exactly like what you intend.

In making any kind of t-shirt art, it’s wise to use medium or dark-colored crayons on light-colored t-shirts, and light-colored crayons on dark-colored shirts to make the design really stand out.

The author is a freelance writer who writes about emerging communication technologies.

Starting a Small Business in High School

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If you’re a high school student, you have two options for making money. You can get a job or start your own business. On the outside, a job seems easier, but in the end, it could be harder because you are limiting the amount of money you can make. Starting a business is hard work, and you might not succeed, but doing something you enjoy with a high earning potential will be more rewarding in the long run.

Find an Idea

You can do something that has been done many times before and has a lot of demand, or you can come up with your own new idea. Some common ideas for small businesses for high school students are:

  • Lawn mowing
  • Shoveling snow
  • Fall cleanup
  • Landscaping and gardening
  • Babysitting
  • House Cleaning
  • Pet sitting

These are all great ideas, and if there is enough demand for it in your community, you can do very well with them. If you don’t find any of these interesting or you want to do something different, there is no limitation on what you can come up with. Think about what interests you, what you’re good at, and what your goals are. These can all help you find great ideas for potential businesses.

Financing

Will your business need money to start up? Businesses that require little to no money to start will be easiest for you. You can use money you saved on your own or borrow money from your parents or another friend or family member. Keep careful records of who lent you what so that you can pay them back.

Preparing

Gather together whatever supplies you will need. Prepare by setting up a business plan. What are your goals? What is your product or service? Who will you sell to? How will you get customers? You should be able to answer these questions and more before you start conducting business.

Start Small

You can jump right into your business and start big, or you can start small. Starting small is a great way to ease your way into a business, especially if you don’t have money to start or don’t have a lot of time. Maybe by the time the summer roles around you’ll have more time to devote to your growing business.

Expansion

If your business becomes a succeed, always consider expansion. You can offer more products, work more, and hire more employees. Think carefully about every decision you make. Make sure it is in the best interest of your company. Who knows, your business could turn into a full time career you can take into adulthood.

Look for more business ideas or money making ideas? Go to TeenMoneyCentral.com where you will find a wealth of information.