{DIY Monogrammed T-shirts with Silhouette Heat Transfer Material}

Hey, y'all!  I have such a cute project to share with you today!  As a Southerner, I LOVE monograms.  I'm not the only one because I've seen lots of people in my small town recently wearing monogrammed scarves, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and even boots.  I have been in a few stores that sell monogrammed t-shirts, and the price for the shirts was just too much for me.  When Silhouette had a big sale around Christmastime, I ordered some glitter heat transfer material.  I've been itching to use it, and it dawned on me recently that I more than likely could put it to use to make an inexpensive monogrammed t-shirt.  I tried it, it worked, and I want to show you how to make your own.  Stick around until the end of the post to see links to some other awesome Silhouette projects.

You only need two supplies to create your own monogrammed shirt.  You'll need a t-shirt (if you use a new shirt, be sure to wash and dry it) and heat transfer material.  The first step to creating the shirt is to create a monogram with your Silhouette program.  It's really easy to do.  You need to download a monogram font if you don't already have one.  I used Monogram KK, which I downloaded for free from dafont.com.  Then follow these steps.

1. Open your Silhouette program and type your monogram.  Remember that it goes in this order: first name initial, last name initial, middle name initial.  If you type all this in the same text box and capitalize the middle initial, the font will automatically size the letters for you. 
2. Ungroup the letters and move them around and/or resize them until you like the way they look.  Then weld them together. 
3. Offset the welded monogram.  (Why?  Because sometimes the little thin "squiggles" are hard for the machine to cut.)  Delete the original monogram so that you're left with the offset one. 
4. Mirror the monogram so that it won't be backward when you iron it on your shirt.  

After you've created the monogram, cut it from the heat transfer material (shiny side down) with your Silhouette.  When cutting the Silhouette brand glitter heat transfer material, I used a speed of 5, thickness of 10, and my blade set at 4.  (I was using a fairly new blade.)  To make sure those settings are correct for your machine and material, always do a test cut.

Then you'll need to weed.  What's weeding?  Just removing the excess heat transfer material.  Silhouette makes a weeding tool.  I don't have one, so I just used a straight pin for the tiny pieces.

Once the piece is weeded, you'll be left with something that looks like the above pic.  (I hate wasting material, so I filled up the area around my monograms with names that I can use for a project later.)

Cut the monograms apart if you cut more than one like I did.

Iron your shirt.  Lay the monogram on your shirt shiny side up and use a ruler to center it.  Then follow the heat transfer material directions to iron the design on your shirt.  (Here is a link to online directions in case you need them.)

After you've ironed on the monogram, peel of the clear film, and your shirt is complete.

I made two different monogrammed shirts: one for each of my nieces.  The shirts were only about $4 each.  I used a very small amount of the heat transfer material, so the total cost to make each shirt was about $6.  That's much cheaper than the monogrammed shirts sold in stores! And now to share some other projects with you!

My monogrammed t-shirts are my contribution to this month's Silhouette Challenge.  The month's theme is fabric, and there is so much inspiration from my bloggy friends!  Peruse the projects below for a wealth of Silhouette fabric projects!

1. No-Sew Valentine's Day Pillows by A Tossed Salad Life
2. No-Sew Interchangeable Fabric Bunting by unOriginal Mom
3. Monogrammed Burlap Garden Flag by The Turquoise Home
4. Crawl, Walk, Bike by It's Always Craft Time
5. Freezer Paper Stenciled Tote Bags by Weekend Craft
6. DIY Bleach Spray Shirt by Practically Functional
7. Stenciling Sherlock by Please Excuse My Craftermath...
8. Felt Star Wands by Cutesy Crafts
9. Yoda Kid's T-Shirt by Architecture of a Mom
10. Mark Your Territory- Dog Flags by Black and White Obsession
11. Nautical Pillows by Lil' Mrs. Tori
12. Big Sister Gift & Silhouette Cut File by Creative Ramblings
13. Nerdy Baby Onesies + Free Cut File by Essentially Eclectic
14. Easy Easter Bunny Onesie - Silhouette Cameo Craft by Adventures in All Things Food & Family
15. Fabric Envelopes for LEARNING LETTERS! (& cut file) by From Wine to Whine
16. "Good Morning, Sunshine!" Memo Board by Tried & True
17. Hearts-A-Lot Burlap Pillow Cover by My Paper Craze
18. Baby Quilt by Dragonfly & Lily Pads
19. Surprise Holiday Banner by Whats Next Ma
20. "Team Betty" Tote Bag by The Thinking Closet
21. DIY Sock Minion by Create it. Go!
22. Pretty Up Some Organza Bags by Getsilvered
23. Easy Heart Appliqued Onsies by Create & Babble
24. Bleach Pen Gel & Freezer Paper Stencils Made with the Silhouette Machine by Bringing Creativity 2 Life
25. Valentines Baby Onesie & Boy's Shirt + Free Cut Files by The Frill of Life
26. Valentine's OWL Always Love You T-shirt by My Favorite Finds
27. DIY Screen Printed Curtains by Chicken Scratch NY
28. Fabric Painted Quilted Wall Hanging by Terri Johnson Creates
29. Glitter Iron-On Top by Simply Kelly Designs
30. DIY Monogrammed T-shirts with Silhouette Heat Transfer Material by Pitter and Glink
31. Birthday Challenge by Fadville
32. Machine Applique with SIlhouette Cameo by The Sensory Emporium
33. Fabric Applique Valentine's Day T-Shirt by DailyDwelling
34. "Cute as Cupid" shirt by crafts, cakes, and cats
35. Sew Cute Applique by Life After Laundry
36. Rhino Onesie by It Happens in a Blink
37. Upcycled Birchbox Cameo Accesory Organizer by Cupcakes&Crowbars
38. Customizing textiles with Heat Transfer Vinyl (working title) by feto soap
39. Easy Fabric Art by McCall Manor
40. Lady Bug Tote Bag with Silhouette Rhinestones by Ginger Snap Crafts
41. Mommy and Em's Coordinated Aprons by TitiCrafty
42. Canvas sketch project and a share by Clever Someday
43. Foxy Lady Pajamas by Mabey She Made It
44. Teddy Bear by Work in Progress

Happy Silhouette crafting!