T-shirt art will melt Dad's heart

June 19, 8:16 PMSF Parenting ExaminerLaurel Yeates

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Forget the wallet or barbecue equipment. One of the best gifts your child can give to Dad this Father's Day is one that is also a creative, inexpensive and oh, so heart-warming activity for your child. T-shirt art lends itself to a wide range of skill levels and interests and offers up an end product that every daddy can use at least a few times a year. It's even likely he'll jump at the chance to use it a lot more often.

This is an idea that can be initiated at any age, but it's especially effective when started when your child is a baby or toddler. Start with a plain white T-shirt. It's best to launder it before putting pen to shirt. Present your child with a selection of fabric markers, such as Marvy Markers (www.uchida.com) that can usually be purchased at any art or crafts store. Then let them make the gift their own.

While many children of primary school age have had a previous experience with drawing on clothing or other fabric items, here are several suggestions for rookies that might make for a more successful outcome.

1) If your child is young, consider using a fabric paint, like SoSoft Fabric Paint (www.decoart.com) that can be put on their hands or feet. Impressions can be made by Mom - with a newborn, for instance - or let a new walker with painted feet walk across the shirt while it's laid out on the floor. Don't forget to put newspapers down first!

2) Consider pulling the garment taut around a hard surface to make for easier drawing or writing. I've used a large piece of cardboard, a large cutting board and have even pinned a shirt tightly around an ironing board.

3) Encourage your child to draw a practice piece first. Then, once the ink hits the first spot, focus on the fun and creativity of the project so that "mistakes" can be viewed as part of the uniqueness and charm of the gift.

4) Expect age appropriate outcomes. For toddlers or preschoolers, expect stroke art, or random lines and squiggles made with one or two colors. In the next stage, look for the most basic stick figures or smiling faces. By the early school years, your child will probably have something concrete in mind for that shirt. In our family, the design often reflected a stage in learning, a focus in her classroom or a shared family activity or interest.

5) If you have more than one little artist, let one do the front and one do the back. For more than two, consider a long-sleeved tee and let someone do the sleeves. Or, make it a true group effort and let them work it out.

6) Finally, be sure to write the date or your child's age under the design or along the hem. Twenty years from now, you'll appreciate the chronological perspective of a collection that reflects a unique gifting tradition shared again and again between father and child.