Do you have a child or teen's birthday coming up? How about a church youth group? Here is something we did that youth of all ages enjoy. We bought a package of colored Sharpies. They come in a set of 24 and might be a wee bit on the expensive side, but are worth it for the different shades of colors you get.
Have the young ones, and young at heart bring a t-shirt, pair of jeans, or anything else they have permission to decorate. Place a stiff piece of cardboard in between the front and back sides of the clothing. Lay out the markers on the table and let them go to it.
I have found that after they air for about an hour it helps to heat set the clothing in the dryer for about 10 to 20 minutes. Airing helps get rid of the lingering odor from the Sharpies.
By McCollonough from Nashville, TN
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
How do you SET Sharpie Ink into clothes (primarily cotton or cotton blend t-shirts and also dennim pants/jeans).
I work at a Scout camp and at the end of each week all the staff and kids sign each other's camp shirts (or Jeans - mom's GOTTA love that! LOL). Anyway, last year, my daughter wore her t-shirt a lot and all the sharpie "permenant" ink came out in the wash - isolated case of NOT wanting it to come out, but I can't find anywhere to tell me how to make sure it DOESN'T come out!
I would iron it (as someone else suggested) and then soak it in cold strong saltwater (just as you do when dying a garment). Afterwards wash in cold water only.
Someone told me to put it in the dryer first.
I have a jean jacket that I'm drawing on in gel pen. I wanted to know if there was any way for me to get the ink to set into the jacket so that I could wash it without smearing the ink.
Only fabric ink will hold its color. There are fabric pens you can purchase. Gel ink will not last and will fade out when washed. Maybe you can try a fabric sealer.
Not sure it works with all gel pens. There are some you can set by ironing them. Take a piece of parchment paper, cover the design and gently press the fabric on a high heat for about 30 seconds. I would only hand wash, inside out after. It may still come out if it was a generic type gel pens. This technique works for fabric specific gels.
Gel markers will look great until you need to wash the jacket. In some cases, they will start to fade after extended wear of the jacket. You are better off to buy a set of fabric markers to use if you want to decorate your demin jacket. I would suggest that you buy Craft 4 All Fabric Markers.
I used permanent marker on outdoor cushions. How do I seal it?
There is a material sealer called De Mite that can be sprayed on fabric in order to seal it and protect it. I know they have this on Amazon where you can buy it. But right now they are out of stock. Here is the link so hopefully you can find out when they will get some more in.
an acrylic spray sealant should work fine. But even the best sealant probably will not protect it from fading from UV rays, however.
I have pair of Stone jeans and I wanted to color one with a drawing. If I use permanent markers would it stay on the pants and not fade?
Fabric markers work much better, and won't run when washed.
Anyone know what I can use on a sweater's HTV adhesive strip that won't wash off ie: permanent marker, fashion marker? I want to write across it but worry it will just come off in the washer/dryer. TIA!
Washing the item is the keep to feeling the transfer on and the writing on the transfer you are using. You can use the permanent marker you are thinking of using but when washing this you need to take into consideration how it is done. You should always turn the garment inside out when washing. Coldwater is the best to use when washing this garment. Using mild detergents is also recommended.
This is the last week of school for me and I'm gonna have people sign my jeans, but if I wash them the Sharpie will come out. I need to know to get the ink to set so that it will be there for a while and not wash out after the 1st or 6th wash. I can't get out to get some special fabric ones, so help please!
By Kitty H.
What a great idea!
Have you thought about going over the Sharpie signatures with fabric paint after your friends sign the jeans?
You can buy it at stores in the US like Michael's HobbyLobby, JoAnn Fabrics, and other craft stores. You used to be able to buy it at WalMart but most of the stores have really cut back on their craft departments.
Read the labels and directions carefully-several companies make a machine washable line of fabric paints, the paints come in gorgeous colours, some even sparkle and 'puff'.
I don't know what kind of sharpies you use, but I have gotten accidental marks on my clothing that have NEVER washed out after numerous washing.
I had been using the brand name Sharpie (the expensive ones. I know you can get knock offs that have that name). I do use Sharpies to mark names on t-shirt necks that have stayed also. Sometimes alcohol will get some of the ink out, so stay away from that.
You can also hand stitch/embroider the signatures. I have a linen tablecloth from long, long ago that quests would sign and were embroidered over each signature. It looks really cool and you can use whatever color embroidery thread you would like for each signature. Yes, it's time consuming but it's worth it and a piece of artwork that cannot be washed away no matter what and will defintely last for your lifetime and beyond :-)
What about covering it with clear nail polish AFTER it's dried? I have the hardest time getting it out of fabric so TRY IT OUT FIRST ON SOMETHING ELSE and see if it works. Tip: You don't want to get water based inks. Make sure they say permanent ink or fabric. If you mess up, you can use the cheapest hairspray available (NOT YOUR MOTHER'S) to remove ink. Salt and cold water sets ink to make it more permanent. Then you will want to wash the item in cold so it will last longer. Just because it says it's permanent, doesn't mean it always will remain permanent but if you take precautions then you can slow fading down. I love dying something old a new color! People think I bought something new and yeah I did, the ink!
What about covering it with clear nail polish AFTER it's dried? I have the hardest time getting it out of fabric when I spill it! FIRST TRY THIS OUT ON SOMETHING REALLY OLD, NOT WEARABLE TO SEE IF IT WORKS. This is in case the polish may smear the ink or paint you use because they're not all the same. Tip: You don't want to get water based inks. Make sure they say permanent ink or fabric ink.
If you mess up your design, you can use the cheapest hairspray available (NOT YOUR MOTHER'S) to remove ink. If you only have a small spot to correct, find a ROUND, not flat, coffee stirrer (looks like a small straw) and attach it to the hairspray nozzle. FIRST I recommend that you test it on something else before using it on your design! A small oops is better than a huge OMG! ;)
Salt and cold water sets ink to make it more permanent. Then you will want to wash the item in cold so it will last longer. Just because it says it's permanent, doesn't mean it always will remain permanent but if you take precautions then you can slow fading down. I love dying something old a new color! People think I bought something new and yeah I did, the ink!
Hey the sharpie your talking about. I stole mine from my sisterX3 but getting to the point, what if I don't know what it cost? all I know is what it says says this
"Sharpie Permanet Maker Ultra Fine Point ACMI AP Conforms to ASTM D-4236 Assembled in USA"
Please answer asap ty
I know from using the combination on other projects that nail polish and Sharpie don't work well together. The Sharpie dissolves a bit and smears. I would guess it might do the same on cloth but I haven't tried it yet.
I've drawn on my pants with Permanent Marker and I LOVE the designs I did. How do I preserve it?
Serena from WPB, FL
Hand wash in cold with VERY mild soap, hang to dry.
If the designs begin to fade too much.... trace over them again w/ the permanent markers, or maybe you will enjoyu the faded look also, for a while.
If it is the design you love and not the color, draw over it with a bleach pen and you will have a white version. If you want both design and color, then I agree with previous posts, gentle washing and repeat as necessary. A sharpie marker should stay in fairly well.
TC in MO
You can use a colorless, water--based, acrylic paint as a sealant for the marker designs. Just brush a thin coat over your designs and allow to dry for 24 hrs. I'd probably turn jeans inside out and apply the acrylic to the back side of the designs as well, to prevent fading from both sides. Once dry, the treated fabric will feel stiffer than the rest but, it should soften up when washed.
I made a homemade t-shirt with different colors of permanent Sharpie marker, and would like to know how to wash it without smearing the marker and ruining the t-shirt?
Editor's Note: Many people have complained about this comment, stating that it removes the Sharpie instead of fixing it. Use caution if trying this tip.
Before washing, place it in a dishpan or bucket with 1 part white vinegar to 5 parts water for an hour to set the colors. Rinse thoroughly in cold water, then wash by itself, on permanent press cycle, cold water.
(Submitted via email)
The vinegar mixture made the marker run all over the shirt. Do not do this!
Lisa
I got the autographs of some soccer players on one of the team shirts and I washed it and the ink smudged a little. I was wondering if there was a way to take it out without completely ruinin the real signatures?
You can try the Rit Color Grabber.
Everything that Ive read about fabric painting or marking says to heat set after dry. Put a cloth over design, and/or iron the backside of the design
Can you please elaborate on this step regarding the rit color grabber ?
Am trying to preserve an autograph my kid got on her hoodie at a concert.
Would like more info regarding this process?
