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Sketching Sea Life on Fabric

CRAFTS

DISCLAIMER:  This post was created as part of my collaboration with Carnival Cruise Lines.  As always, all of the opinions, thoughts, and ideas in this post are my own.

I’m always looking for fun DIY projects to help me remember special vacations.  I love being reminded of the sand between my toes and the sea salty wind in my hair.  So I hunt for ideas like a savage.  Here’s my latest project, just one of many ways to celebrate and commemorate your ocean adventures.

First – a little back story….right before I had LJ, my mom asked me if there was anything special I wanted for the boys….she knows I have an overabundant fondness for matching kids clothing.  So I told her that I would love to have matching t-shirts for all three boys that said “little brother”, “big brother” and “biggest brother”.  She couldn’t find any that were my style…so she decided to make them.  She took a regular sharpie and made some cute tees for the boys.  And then I washed them….and they bled everywhere.  It was a sad, sad day.

When she found out about the leaky-tees, we were both a little bit stunned that permanent markers like Sharpies didn’t stay on the tshirts because OBVIOUSLY they stain other fabrics and never come out (coughrockingchaircough).  So I set out to find another way to mark on fabric.

Now granted you can make big brother t-shirts to your hearts delight but for me, I thought this would be a fun way to memorialize some of the fantastic sea life that Jeremy and I have experienced on our past vacations.  Not to mention the fact that it’s making me even more excited about our upcoming cruise with Carnival Cruise Lines.  Oh I didn’t mention the fact that we are gonna be CRUISING in November?!  Yeah.  You can hashtag me screaming right now with pure delight and excitement.

First thing you need are these Sharpie markers.  I know.  They are Sharpies.  But they aren’t just any Sharpies – they are specifically formulated for fabrics.  I ordered them on Amazon and they are VERY bright colors – think florescent on steroids.

You will also need your materials for marking up…i.e. tshirts, dishtowels, napkins, pillow cases, sheets, curtains, lampshades, etc.  Make sure you wash them first.  Not the lampshades…that would be awkward.

Next you will need inspiration.  In this case, I was going for sea life.  Hence the pinterest-ready labeled photo previously shown above 🙂  If you have photos from snorkeling on your latest cruise, a postcard from your favorite beach vacation, even just Googling or Pinteresting photos that remind you of a ocean hot spot will bring up TONS of options.

I used the fish picture above as my inspiration.  I remember seeing some crazy polka dotted fish from our trip to Eleuthera and these matched up with my brilliant colors (the actual fish listed above is from Hawaii so maybe I am dreaming that one day I’ll go there!).

Okay, so first you outline your sea life.  If you feel more comfortable tracing – print out the picture on paper and put it under your dishtowel.  Sea life is full of crazy edges so it doesn’t matter if it’s exactly perfect (evidence above!).  Then you want to fill in any highlighted areas.  If it is supposed to stay white in certain areas – just try to make a mental note of that.

Then comes the main event color…in this case, red.  Still looking like an elementary schooler drew it…

I found that it helps to add one more mid-tone color…in this case, orange.  And when I say mid-tone, I mean burn-a-hole-in-the-sun-neon-orange.

Then comes the important part – the shading.  I went through and redefined any lines (around the eyes, the fins, etc.) with the tip of the marker…making it more bold.  Then I turned my marker sideways (like you would hold a crayon if you did a rubbing) and started with the shading.

After you are done, it should look like a graphic towel that you would buy at a trendy little shop that would cost you all the money you enveloped for food that month.  And now for the high-speed gif…

Your final step is to wash the fabric in cold water.  I ironed mine first.  I know the instructions said to just wash – but I didn’t want this to bleed so I ironed it on a med-high setting with no steam.   Washing in cold after should set it in extra well.

I also created an easier version if you feel like shading might be too hard.  It’s a coral reef and I tried to make it as simple as possible.  This would be a great activity for kids too because they could draw their own creations!

Obviously I embraced the big bold colors that were available in the pack but if I were to do it all over again, I think I would try my hand at simpler things – like a tshirt for Weston that says MUNCH in bold (his nickname) or an outline of a monster truck for Will that he could color in all by himself.  The possibilities are endless!


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  2. So…..who is this post sponsored by? And who are you going on a cruise with? Just an FYI, think you forgot some details before you hit publish 🙂

  4. What a fun idea! I love the tea towel… and yes, the shading makes all the difference. I’ve made some onesies with regular sharpie for my daughter and they didn’t bleed, but they have faded after a wash or two. They were only for specific events (“I <3 uncle ___" for his birthday, etc) so I didn't mind the fading, but I'd love to make something a little longer lasting.

    Have you washed these multiple times? does the color stay this vibrant?

  5. I’m cruising in Nov. too!!!! Enjoy your trip- it’s the best! Make sure to take advantage of all the room service, the comedy shows, and the kid’s club. My girls are a bit older now but when they were little they really had a blast! I have always ADORED the Carnival staff too- I am going on 12+ cruises…. Just saying!!! 🙂

  6. Sorry if this is a dumb question but how do you go from page to page on your site now? I do not say a way to read a post older than the top page.

  8. Enjoy your cruise! I love cruising! We’re going on our 5th cruise in December, but the first with our two-year old twins. Kinda nervous about how that will go, but I’m still counting down the days! 😀

  10. Wow! Very creative!
    Love that you broke it down into steps, but you’ve got a God-given artistic talent that can’t be taught. So I’ll have to stick to buying the trendy towels that creative folks like you make 😉
    Enjoy your cruise!

  11. Whoa! Those look awesome! I don’t think I could make mine look that pretty! You definitely have a natural talent that is God-given! I love seeing projects like this! How long did it take you to draw each one? 🙂

  12. Katie, I am a long-time reader. You have great ideas, artistic talents, and personal style. I have to say, and this is just my opinion…when it’s a sponsored post I can’t help but think that they are less authentic. It’s not just being spontaneously creative and sharing, it’s creating a project with a sponsor in mind. I know spontaneity doesn’t pay the bills, but as a reader, I am less interested in sponsored posts.

  14. I am blown freaking away!!! I love LOVE these, I will be getting some of those markers! I would like to know how you find the patience or maybe a better word is time to sit down to do this with three little ones? I have three all about the same age as yours and I can’t seem to get fifteen minutes to myself.

  18. I think you’re missing a couple of words…

    “This post was created as part of my collaboration with . ”
    and
    “Not to mention the fact that it’s making me even more excited about our upcoming cruise with .”

    With WHO???!!

    🙂

    These markers seem pretty awesome. Thanks for telling us about them! I’m gonna have to get us a pack (and make sure I keep ’em where my preschoolers can’t find them when I’m not looking!)

  19. This post alone was worth all your struggle with your web page. love love love the hi speed feature. Love your DIY !

  21. A CRUISE!!!! Sooo jealous!!

    The fish is great, but I really LOVE the coral reef one — I would totally buy that!!

    But back to the important subject…..I can’t wait to hear more about this cruise!! With the boys, family, or a romantic for 2?

  22. Have a blast on your vacation! Will you do a recap on how you cruise with babe and toddlers? My husband and I have been on several, but none since we had our little ones. Can’t wait to hear what worked/didn’t work for you!

  23. Katie, that is unbelievably good! You’re so sweet to think we could all just drew an amazing fish like that…. 🙂 You are so talented– writer, artist, photographer, mother. So glad you are sharing your talents with us.

  25. Wow! Did you study art in school? You always make such incredible things; you also make them LOOK incredibly easy, but I think you just have a real talent for drawing. If I tried it, it would look like a joke!

  29. How do I scroll back through your blogs? Haven’t read in a while and want to go through them but can’t find any arrows to click back one day at a time. Or a home page that lists all the previous ones. There are two links at the bottom to prior posts but when I click on them, they don’t link to the next prior one. I do see a project link but want to go through them chronologically. Thanks.

  30. Katie – you are so crazy talented, girl! I love this idea even though I could never pull off artwork like that…mine would definitely be more abstract! But I like this idea for my boys to help with and make some Christmas gifts for the grandparents! 🙂

    Yay for a cruise trip! Are the boys going with you? If so, be sure to share all your traveling tips!! 🙂

  31. Uh, well, that’s just six different kinds of fabulous! I think I’m going to go buy some plain white onsies for my soon to be little one…and go nuts.

  33. Hi – Quick question… I’ve been on vacation and wanted to catch up on some of your posts that I missed while I was technology -less. But I can’t quite figure out how to do it with your new layout. I don’t see a link to previous posts aside from 2 links at the bottom of your main page to the last two posts. I’ve checked them both out but can’t figure out how to go back any further. Help! What am I doing wrong?

  34. Wow. I could never DIY something like that. I LOVE that pillow. So bright, so fun! You’re a great artist.

  35. Nevermind! Just found the link. Not sure why I didn’t see it before. I do like your new layout, btw. The larger photos are great. Keep up the good work, Busy Momma!

  36. Where are you cruising out of? We will be on the Carnival Dream out of New Orleans mid November. It’s a 5 day cruise & I cannot wait!!!!!!!!

  41. It’s our first cruise and it will be with the boys and my parents. It is to celebrate our anniversary (and Weston’s birthday) and should be really fun (fingers crossed)!
    xo – kb

  42. Yup, I am having lots of trouble finding the previous and next links. I clicked into this post (off the main page) and don’t see them at all. Help please!

  43. We loved our cruise with Carnival (first one last summer) with our then 18 month old. It was fun, we did build-a-bear on board and some other toddler friendly activities. One thing to note is that your younger boys won’t be able to get into the pool because of a no diaper rule 🙁 We brought a small inflatable bathtub and my hubby would fill it up in the bathroom on deck and our son LOVED it. We were able to put it between our lounge chairs on deck so we could enjoy laying out and he had fun with the water and his toys. It also came in handy in the bathroom for bathtime. Also a huge help was a behind the door organizer. We hung it on the inside of the “closet” door and kept everything from snacks to diapers/wipes and sunscreen. Every morning we had them bring us juice and fruit so that he would be kept happy until everyone was ready for breakfast. We also brought a backpack with a detachable “leash” (I know not for everyone) but on a cruise it gave us a peace of mind. He was able to wear the backpack with a few things in it so less for us to tote around the ship and gave him the freedom to explore safely and kept close to us. Think ahead about what medicines you may want to bring for your boys because you can’t get anything for them on board (the cruiseline can answer that question though since things change), not an issue as much for adults other than the cost. Walky-talkies are a must for the entire group, we had two but no one else in our large group had them so we never knew where anyone was, which was the only negative on the cruise. We would just miss eachother and were almost late getting off the ship when we docked. My husband and I are headed on a cruise (probably Carnival again) next summer, just us two and can’t wait!! I was shocked how much fun it ended up being with a young child. I would love to try the Disney Cruiseline with our both our boys one day. Can’t wait to hear about your trip!!

  44. Love how colorful and graphic they are! I have a question about the new blog, how do you see older posts? I can’t figure out how to go back or forward!

  52. I understand that and I feel the same way at times with other bloggers. Just want you to know though that in general, my sponsored content is one of two things…a review of a product or an organic post I had on the to do list that held hands well with a sponsor (like this one). I am crazy protective of my voice and content on the blog and if someone tries to tell me what to do or how to say something, I won’t partner up. It’s as simple as that. Please feel free to skip the sponsored content if you see that disclaimer at the top of the post. It’s there instead of the bottom because I know some folks just aren’t interested in sponsored content.
    xo kb

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