Handprint T-Shirt Father’s Day Gift

I made this dotted handprint t-shirt with my girls for their daddy’s birthday present, and it would make a fantastic Father’s Day gift too!

Our Daddy is a t-shirt and shorts 365 kinda guy, so the girls love making him special t-shirts they get to create, and they’re so proud whenever he wears them.

One year we made a painted handprint t-shirt that read “World’s Best Dad Hands Down”. Another year the girls used black sharpies to draw their doodles all over a white t-shirt.

This year we had a different take on the handprint t-shirt with a cool dot effect. The kids get to spend more time painting it, and there’s less pressure to get that perfect, smudge-free print. I’ve got the whole tutorial for you below so you can make your own dotted handprint t-shirt!

How to Make a Dotted Handprint T-Shirt

Supplies

• Plain t-shirt
• Fabric paint
• Pencil with eraser on the end
• Scrap thin cardboard or cardstock (I used a cereal box)
• Scissors
• Iron and ironing board

Directions

1. Follow the instructions on your fabric paint for pre-washing the t-shirt
2. Use the pencil to trace your child’s handprint onto the cardstock paper or cardboard
3. Cut the handprint shape out of the paper/cardboard
4. Place the t-shirt on the ironing board, place the paper handprint on the t-shirt, and iron over the paper. This helps hold it in place while you add the dots.
5. Carefully transfer the shirt to your work surface for painting, and place a big piece of cardboard or cardstock INSIDE the shirt to prevent the paint bleeding through one side of the shirt to the other.
6. Dip the pencil eraser into the fabric paint, and have your kid dab paint dots on the t-shirt all around the handprint cutout
7. Be sure to cover the edge of the handprint cutout completely with dots to get a solid shape, then keep adding dots less densely as you move away from the cutout for a cool effect
8. Lift the paper handprint off the shirt, and you now you have a handprint surrounded by dots
9. Repeat on different places on the shirt as much as you like!

My girls love pointing out which handprint is theirs, and putting their hands over them to see if they’ve grown! It’s a special shirt for both Daddy and the kids.

Thanks so much for stopping by, have fun with it!

PS you might want to check out these other great Father’s Day gift ideas:

Photo Collage for Daddy

D-A-D Photo Collage

Footprint Stepping Stone