I received fabric paint for this project from DecoArt as a part of their Blogger Outreach program. The opinions in this post are my own.
Are you looking for a personalized baby gift idea for a new mommy? It is always fun to shop the registry, of course, but I like to add a little something special to the gift that is completely unique for that particular baby.
I have been making embroidered onesies as gifts for baby showers for a while, but recently decided it would be fun to add fabric paint to the mix. I love how changing that one element allowed the embroidery stitches to really pop. I cannot wait to ship this onesie off to my friend who recently welcomed a sweet baby girl into her family.
How to Make a Painted and Embroidered Baby Outfit
You will need:
One plain baby onesie or t-shirt
Embroidery transfer pen
Embroidery hoop
Embroidery floss in complimentary colors and needle
Fabric paint (I used DecoArt SoSoft Fabric Acrylics in Baby Pink Deep, Indian Turquoise,
Lavender, and Dark Rose)
Paint brush
Use the transfer pen to draw your design onto the onesie or t-shirt. As you can see with my drawing, I didn’t try to get it completely perfect. The ink rinses completely off so I was able to draw over mistakes to get the flowers the way I wanted them to look. You can also place a picture you like under the fabric and trace the design onto your fabric.
Put a piece of cardboard behind the part of the fabric you are going to paint just in case the paint seeps through. Pour the fabric acrylic onto a tray or plate and paint your design. I found that a little paint went a long way and that it was easier to dab the paint onto the cotton onesie than to brush it on like I would paint on paper. I was surprised at how bright the DecoArt fabric paints were but in a good way. They were easy to work with, and my daughter and I had fun using the leftover paint for an impromptu toddler painting session (at her art easel, not on the fabric.)
Let the painted onesie dry for 24-48 hours. I wanted to make sure the paint was completely dry since I was going to be rinsing the transfer pen marks off. The last thing I wanted to do was to accidentally smear my design across the shirt.
Once the paint is dry, place the shirt into an embroidery hoop and stitch around your design. I used a back stitch as well as a lazy daisy stitch. (See how to make those stitches here.) Cut the threads when you’re finished, and rinse the transfer pen marks completely off. You can also rinse the transfer pen off before you stitch and wait for the shirt to dry before you stitch your design.
I think I will be less specific with painting the flowers (or any design) the next time I try this. It would be fun to paint a splash of color as a background and then use the embroidery floss to create the specific design like a flower, a little bird, or a word (baby’s name, for example.)
You could make a set of these onesies as a personalized baby gift or tuck one into a package of goodies that you have already bought for the new mom.
What is your go-to baby shower gift? Come on, you know you have one! Share in the comments.
24 responses to “A Personalized Baby Gift: A Painted & Embroidered Onesie”
That is such a sweet gift idea, and with endless variations possible too!
I’ve always given cute bibs in the past – I figure you just can’t have too many!
Thank you, Julie! I love your idea to give cute bibs because you’re right, you can never have too many. Have a great day! 🙂
This is a great idea, I’ll have to try it next time. If I have enough time I like to hand paint baby shoes. The last set I did was “The Little Prince” themed.
Oh my goodness, those baby shoes must have been adorable!
Great idea! And it turned out so cute! Thank you for sharing at Merry Monday!
Thanks, Amanda! 🙂
This is so cute! It looks like those expensive onesies from Gymboree (one of my favorite kid stores) Thanks for sharing on Merry Monday. Pinned.
Thanks so much for the compliment, Erlene! I love Gymboree too! 🙂
Love the idea, simple and cute, ideal for little girls.
Thank you, Soha! 🙂
So sweet. Thanks for sharing at the #HomeMattersParty – we love partying with you! Hope to see you on Friday. 🙂
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai
Thanks so much for your sweet comment, Lorelai! 🙂
This is such a cute baby gift!
Would love if you shared this at our Yarn Fanatic Party – http://eyeloveknots.blogspot.com/2015/06/yarn-fanatic-party-41-join-us-for-some.html.
Thanks, Alexandra! 🙂 And thanks for the invite! 🙂
Drawing the designs first is a great idea. Free handing something like that would be very difficult. I don’t think I could do it without the drawing and have it look good.
http://www.moboenterprises.com/en/
Yes, definitely! I usually sketch out a design first and sometimes sketch directly onto the fabric with a water soluble transfer pen. Any mistakes are rinsed away after I’ve stitched the final design. 🙂 Have a great day!
This is such an adorable idea! My sister-in-law is having her second baby girl this week, and this would be the perfect gift for her. Thanks for including all the specific supplies you used. That helps me know exactly what to look for when I go to the store after work today!
Thanks so much, Veronica! I think she’ll really like your creation. 🙂 🙂
Those painted flowers are so cute. My sister had twin girls this summer. I think that she’d totally be shocked if I bought white onesies and painted pictures on them for the girls.
What a great idea! I’m sure she would love it. 🙂
What would you do for a little boy’s onesie? I would love to embroider something for him. Maybe even a blanket. But I’m stuck on what kind of design to put on it. Stars? I know they aren’t big sports fans, so footballs, baseballs, and basketballs are out.
I’ve embroidered ocean waves, a turtle, fish, a blue whale, and a little truck on onesies for boys before. 🙂 Stars would be fun too! Thanks so much for asking. 🙂
Great advice for embroidering baby clothes. This would make a perfect gift!
Thanks so much for this sharing! Great suggestion for me to choose a baby shower gift. And now I know what I’m taking to my sister’s baby shower