Design your own T-shirts: the family fashion house is open
Plan a simple T-shirt decorating session with a useful design brief, space to practise and a clear division between creative jobs and adult setting instructions.
Illustrative artwork from the game, rather than a photograph of a real outing or session.
A plain T-shirt is a small canvas with somewhere to put your arms. Everyone can choose their own design, or you can make a loose family theme: space explorers, favourite creatures or the official uniform of staying at home on a Sunday.
The catalogue suggests ages 5+ with adult help. Use materials labelled as suitable for the fabric and the people using them. Children can design and decorate with support; an adult handles any heat setting or other finishing process the product requires.
A little planning before the fun
Time to allow
Allow around 2 hours for designing and decorating, plus whatever drying or setting time your chosen materials require. The shirt may not be ready to wear straight away.
Budget notes
Use suitable plain shirts you already own if you can. Check the cost of fabric materials and any necessary finishing equipment before buying; paper design sketches are a free first stage.
These are planning suggestions, not live prices or bookings. The shorter and longer versions give you room to adapt the activity to your day.
Tick off what you have gathered, or print a fresh checklist. Ticks are for this page only.
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A suitable plain T-shirt for each person
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Fabric pens, paint or other materials with clear instructions
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Paper and pencils for practising the design
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A protective table cover and clothing protection
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A barrier for inside each shirt, if recommended by your materials
Make it happen
1. Read the material instructions first
Check which fabrics the product works on, whether the shirt needs washing before use and how the design must dry or set. An adult should decide whether the finishing process suits the household. Do this before promising everyone a new outfit for lunch. Fabric paint has very little sympathy for an ambitious timetable.
2. Give the design a small brief
Choose a theme or let each person choose their own. Sketch one large shape and a few details on paper, keeping the design manageable for the time available. Children can tell you about an idea instead of drawing it perfectly. A useful question is “what would you love to wear?” rather than “can you make it look like this example?”
3. Prepare a comfortable work space
Protect the table and clothes, lay the shirt flat and use an internal barrier if the product recommends one. Keep pens and paint where people can reach without leaning across another shirt. Practise a mark on an appropriate spare surface first. Share supplies in turns if buying a set for everyone would stretch the budget.
4. Decorate without taking over
Start with the main shapes and add smaller details when there is room. Offer help with letters or a tricky outline if the maker wants it. Leave a place for each person’s own decisions, including the surprising choice of giving every animal six legs. Take breaks before tired hands turn a favourite project into a battle with a sleeve.
5. Finish the shirts properly
Follow the product’s drying, setting and washing instructions, with an adult handling any heat. Keep wet shirts somewhere suitable and out of the way. When they are ready to wear, hold a small fashion show or take a picture if everyone agrees. Let each designer explain the name of their collection before the serious business of putting the supplies away.
Make it work for you
Ages 5–7
Offer simple outlines, large shapes or suitable stamps, with adult support. Give children a short decorating turn and a clear place to put used materials.
Older children and teenagers
Invite them to design their own lettering, a team badge or a coordinated small detail. Let them opt out of matching family shirts without making it a loyalty test.
Not ready to decorate a shirt
Make a paper fashion design first. You can enjoy the theme, colours and presentation, then decide later whether to buy materials or put the design on clothing.
Before you begin
Use products suitable for the fabric and age group, follow ventilation and skin-contact guidance, and protect surfaces. Adults manage heat setting and any unsuitable equipment. Ask before photographing or sharing children’s designs and images.
The designer’s planning card
Print one brief each or draw your design directly on a piece of scrap paper.
1. My design is called:
2. The main shape or picture:
3. The colours I want to use:
4. One detail that makes it mine:
5. The adult finishing steps our product needs:
6. When the shirt will actually be ready to wear:
These prompts are included when you print the plan and checklist.
A slightly wobbly dinosaur is still an excellent choice of evening wear.
How did your family get on?
Tell us which step helped, what needed explaining or what you would do differently. A small, specific suggestion is more useful than a gold star—though we do enjoy a gold star.
Your email app opens so you can choose what to send. Please leave out private details, children’s names and photographs of other people.
Let the envelopes choose your next adventure
Choose activities your family would enjoy and let a little mystery settle the final decision. The sample game lets you try it before creating your own board.
Prepared for Deal or Date · Updated 28 October 2026
These plans expand activities from our game catalogue. Text and illustrative artwork were prepared with AI assistance, then checked for catalogue accuracy, clear steps and practical variations before publication. They are suggestions to make your own, rather than accounts of personal trips or product tests.