Embellished Christmas Tree Shirt (Christmas Craft)

I don't often share Christmas projects or posts before the Thanksgiving holiday, but I got so excited about a big Silhouette Black Friday Promotion, that I decided to partner up with them and create a cute Christmas craft to show you guys. You can check in here on Friday morning for the big promo, but for today I hope you'll check out this Embellished Christmas Tree Shirt I made using the flocked heat transfer material. Only very basic sewing skills required (needle and thread).

Here's what you'll need to create your own:

-Flocked Heat Transfer Material in Red and Green
-Plain T-Shirt (I got two cheap at Wal-Mart. One for each girl)
-Coordinating Ribbon
-Small Buttons
-Needle and Thread
-Scissors
-Silhouette machine (I own the SD)


Directions:
Before I got started, I pulled the shirt out and decided on a general size I wanted for my Christmas tree shape and letters. Once I pulled my shape up in the software, I simply sent the heat transfer material through the machine, following the manufacturer's instructions on the box.

*Note: If you are cutting letters out, be sure to adjust them so they are sent as a mirror image. I also adjust my SD to print a bit slower than the settings dictate, and I check the "Double Cut" option to be sure the blade goes all the way through.

1. Pull off all the negative space from the heat transfer so that only your design shows.
Play with the positioning on your surface until you find a spot you like.

2. Place the shape on your shirt and following Silhouette's instructions for ironing.
The clear sheet should be ON TOP when you iron.

3. Repeat these steps for your lettering.

Your shirt will now look something like this. Cute, but kind of plainish, huh?

Now it's time to embellish! Grab your ribbon, buttons, scissors, and a needle and thread:

I followed my tutorial for Halloween Hair Bows to make a cute little tree topper with ribbon. It is sewn directly onto the shirt. The button in the center is to cover up all the thread, but it also adds some extra flair:

Finally, I sewed little white "ornament" buttons onto the tree. I just eyeballed it...no measuring or marking spaces. They could be hot glued if you were doing this as a framed decor piece, but if this is a wearable project, the buttons must be sewn on.

Final product?

Times two:

These would be super-cute with little jean skirts and fun tights, but Michaela Byrd opted to wear hers with skinny jeans and her brown boots. (Bow from Harper's Hat Box) I have the cutest models:

The girls have already asked if they can wear their shirts on Christmas Day, which made me feel good about the time I spent putting these together. I think they turned out great!

I should say that while I opted to use a pre-loaded Christmas tree shape for this project, the new Silhouette Studio Designer Edition Software is completely amazing and will allow you to cut .svg files, transfer any of your designs into rhinestone templates (this was a biggie for me), convert designs into sketchable art, clip designs using different patterns, modify designs with an enhanced eraser function, and more! It's loads of fun to play with...would be a great thing to ask for as a Christmas gift!

So, if you're like me and wait until after Turkey Day to focus on the Christmas fun, I hope you'll forgive this premature holiday project. I just couldn't hold off. Stay tuned for Friday's amazing Silhouette promo!

Have you started any Christmas projects?

Linking to Positively Splendid

*Disclaimer: I received the heat transfer material from Silhouette, but I was not financially compensated for this post. All opinions are, as always, my own.