We made a freezer paper stencil shirt for our beloved Wu Yi Lao Lao recently for her birthday, and I was just thinking about what a great Mother’s Day present it would make. Well, this is assuming, of course, that you didn’t have to help make your own Mother’s Day gift. On second thought, perhaps it would make a better gift for a Grandmother or Grandma Aunt. Or maybe wait until Father’s Day.
Freezer paper stenciled shirts are not a new idea, but what makes it such a great gift idea is that the kids can be totally involved in the making of the shirts. Here’s what freezer paper is (you can buy it at grocery stores, next to aluminum foil and wax paper) and here is a brief tutorial. I gave each kid a piece of freezer paper and let them make their drawings.
Otis made a brown bear catching a salmon, with a bright yellow moon in the sky. I love the salmon detail so much, and I actually think that it’s a beautifully composed drawing.
Bee wanted a little more help. She’s loves to draw people and write letters, but wanted to make hearts for her shirt so I let her dictate where the hearts of different sizes would go, and drew dots for her to trace.
Each child helped me stencil in the textile paint, and watched with excitement as we peeled off the freezer paper. And Wu Yi Lao Lao loves her shirt, though she hasn’t decided if she’s ever going to wear it or just save it, tucked away safely in her drawer.
Otis drew that? Wow. He has clearly inherited your artistic talent.