Any excuse to dress up, am I right?
Whether it’s for freshers week at university, Halloween or just a bit of fun, I’ve created three simple costumes: teletubby, army camo and a classic lifeguard t-shirt using Happy Fabric iron-on vinyl.
Costume 1: Teletubby.
You will need:
T-shirt (in red, green, purple or yellow)
Iron or heat press
Greaseproof paper
A4 sheet of HappyFashion Spectrum* vinyl
Optional: headband and pipecleaners (in same colour as shirt)
Step one: Pre-press the t-shirt by running the iron over (or using heat press) to remove all creases.

Step two: Place vinyl sheet onto t-shirt (shiny side facing up) and cover with greaseproof paper.


Step three: Press down with iron (or heat press) for ten seconds.

Step four: Wait to cool, then remove plastic carrier from vinyl.

Optional:
Wrap the pipe cleaners around the headband and twist to create aerial shape according to which teletubby you are making.

*Please note Spectrum has a repeating pattern, some sheets may have a small line, this is not a defect.
Costume 2: Army camo
You will need:
Green t-shirt
2- 4 A4 sheets of HappyFlex vinyl
(I used Olive Green, Green, Brown and Cream)
Greaseproof paper
Scissors
Iron or heat press
Step one: (Optional) Cut t-shirt into a cropped version

Step two: Draw cloud-like shapes onto the back (matte side) of the coloured vinyl sheets and then cut out.
Step three: Prepress the t-shirt using an iron on the two-dot setting or a heat press
Step 4: Arrange a selection of vinyl shapes onto the t-shirt (do not layer them yet!) and cover with greaseproof paper.
Step 5: Press for 10 seconds, then wait until the vinyl is cooled. Peel off the plastic carrier from the vinyl.
Step 6: Place on the next layer of shapes, overlapping the first layer in areas.
Step 7: Add greaseproof paper, press again for 10 seconds, and repeat cooling and peeling process. Keep repetition of the layering and pressing process until the desired effect is achieved.
Tip: take care to layer slowly, and always peel off all carriers before overlapping.
Costume three: Lifeguard
You will need:
Yellow T-shirt
A4 sheet of HappyFlex Red
Scissors, pen and stencil (optional: use of cutting machine or draw freehand)
Iron or heat press
Step one: Use a stencil to write ‘LIFEGUARD’ onto the back of the vinyl sheet. You could also use a cutting machine or draw them freehand- just remember to flip the writing so the lettering is the right way around when you turn the vinyl shiny side up.

Step two: Cut the lettering out.
Step three: Pre press the t-shirt with an iron (on the two dot setting) or using a heat press.
Step four: Place the lettering onto the t-shirt and then cover with greaseproof paper.
Step five: Press for ten seconds using an iron or heat press. This can be done in sections, going over edges to ensure all of the lettering receives enough heat.
Step six: Let cool slightly and then peel off the plastic carrier from each letter.
Step seven (optional): Use the remaining vinyl to personalise the back of the t-shirt!
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