How to Make Greek Letters on Shirts

Use Greek lettering to individualize your shirts.

Fraternity and sorority shirts are popular on college campuses, but they can be extremely expensive--especially as you're not only buying your own, but ones for your Greek "relatives" too. Make your own shirts instead and you'll get to pick creative fabrics and colors, as well as saving money.

Things You'll Need

• Thread
• Fabric
• T-shirt
• Fabric glue
• Sewing machine
• Sewing needle
• Cardboard or cardstock
• Fabric crayon
• Printer

Instructions

1. Find a reference resource to show you how to form Greek letters. Of course, you should know how to write the letters of your own sorority or fraternity, but you need to double-check on any other letters. You don't want to be walking around with misspelled letters across your chest!

2. Create a stencil for the letters that's just a bit larger than you want them to appear on the shirt. The easiest way to do this is to print out the letters using a regular inkjet or laser printer, cut them out and then trace them onto cardboard or cardstock. Cut the letters out of the cardboard or cardstock; these will serve as your stencils.

3. Choose a T-shirt or other piece of clothing.

4. Choose a patterned or colored fabric for the the letters. You want to use a fabric or print that contrasts with the color of the T-shirt, and thus stands out.

5. Turn the fabric over so you're looking at the non-colored or non-patterned side.

6. Trace the letters onto the fabric as a mirror image. If you are looking at the front of the letter, flip it over and set it down. Now trace with a fabric crayon around the edge of the stencil.

7. Cut out the letters along the lines you created. You may want to create letters with two layers of fabric so they are more durable.

8. Lightly apply a fabric glue to the back of the letters. If you are using two layers of fabric, first glue the layers together and then apply fabric glue to the back. Position on your shirt as desired.

9. Sew the fabric to the shirt using tight loops around the edges of letters. These should run parallel to each other all the way around the letter. When finished, the edge of the fabric shouldn't show. Using a thick thread such as embroidery thread or floss will cut stitching time. Sewing the fabric is a long process when done by hand. It can be done more easily with an embroidery machine.

Tips & Warnings

• Iron-on letters are also available that, while less durable, are easier to apply. Check your local craft store for selections.

• Have patience! The more time you take to make your stitches tight, the better your shirt will look.

• Your sewing will most likely not be the best in your first few attempts. You may want to first test your skills on an old shirt or piece of fabric.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Oswego State University of New York: Greek Letters