Fresh Paint

POSTED BY Brianne DiSylvester, 29 August 2007

If the last time you tried a DIY project, you ended up with a shirt similar to the one Denise made Theo (come on, "The Cosby Show!"), it might be time to step back and start with a smaller task. Urban Outfitters has the perfect starter project to get the — um, creative(?) juices flowing. Don't worry, the only things you'll need is an article of clothing, paint, stencil and the artistic ability of a third-grader. These templates from Stencil1 are reusable and made from heavy-duty vinyl. At $10 a pop, you can choose from a deer, sparrow or a chimp, but really, we know you want all three.

We recommend starting off with an old T-shirt, then graduating on to more unique items like a sparrow on the bottom of a romantic slip dress or a deer on a funky plaid clutch. Don't be afraid to play around with different fabrics, patterns, cropping and layering as you get the hang of it — perhaps a chimparrow; yes that's half sparrow, half chimp. Plus, these one-of-a-kind creations make the perfect (and cheap) presents.

Don't worry, we won't tell anyone about the cheap part. But don't stop there, you can stencil anything from your wall to your toaster to your passed out best friend — just make sure you get rid of the evidence.

Images courtesy of Urban Outfitters