How to Make a Custom Apron
There are many online print shops that make it very easy for you to customize your own apron. All you have to do is import your own photo or choose from their clipart and add whatever text you wish, selecting your own colors and fonts. They will print or embroider your design onto the apron and ship it off to you. If you wish to silkscreen the apron yourself, it can cost you a bit in materials to set it up. The following is a simple and very affordable way to screen print an image onto an apron.
Things You'll Need
- Computer
- Internet connection
- Printer with paper
- Two cheap 1-inch paintbrushes
- Embroidery hoop
- Sheer curtain material
- Scissors
- Soft lead pencil
- Plain apron
- Non-water-soluble glue
- Screen printing ink
Instructions
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Screen Printing an Apron
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1
Find a royalty-free image on the Internet that you like. Save it as a monochrome bitmap file to turn the image black and white.
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2
Print out the image, making sure the image is no larger than your embroidery hoop.
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3
Remove the inside hoop from the embroidery hoop. Stretch the sheer curtain material over the inside hoop, then pinch the inside hoop and the material together by placing the outside hoop on top of it. Fasten it together tightly with the embroidery hoop screws. Cut away the excess material.
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4
Place the hoop material side down on top of the image and trace the image with a pencil.
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5
Turn the hoop over and, following the traced design, paint glue onto the negative spaces where you don't want ink to go.
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6
Let the glue dry completely, then turn over the hoop again and place it on the apron where you want the design to go. Use your second brush to gently stipple the ink onto the design, which will transfer onto the apron. Peel it back and allow it to dry.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Follow the directions exactly as outlined on the screen printing ink bottle advising how to set the ink. You will probably need to use an iron and place a piece of cloth between the design and the iron.
Make sure you use a sheer curtain material with a fairly tight weave so that the image won't look blurry.
If you are worried about the ink bleeding through the apron, place some newspapers underneath it before you apply the ink to the front side of the apron, and go lightly on the application of the ink.
