Freezer Paper Onesies Baby Shower

This past weekend I flew to Alabama for a very special reason- to see my sister who is expecting her first baby this fall.  And, I couldn't just see her without a celebration, so I joined some friends of hers and we crafted, ate, shared, prayed and partied!

Freezer paper onesies are such a simple way to add a craft to a baby shower or even a way to add a no-sew handmade item to a baby gift.  I originally posted about freezer paper onesies here, which has become one of my most popular posts.  It has been featured on countless blogs and sites and I've enjoyed hearing your stories and feedback about your experiences.

You only need a few basic supplies for this project:

1. Onesies
2. Freezer Paper
3. Acrylic Paint
4. Paint Brushes
5. Posterboard
6. Iron
7. Washer and Dryer

Here's the short instructions, but read further if you want my details and tips.

1. Wash onesies.
2. Cut out shapes, images or words from freezer paper.  
3. Iron freezer paper onto onesies (no steam) shiny side down.
4. Insert posterboard into onesies.
5. Use acrylic paint to add color to onesies inside the stencil.
6. Let paint dry and remove stencil after it is dry.
7. Put onesies in the dryer.
8. Wash as usual.

Long Version with details tips and tricks:

Originally, I cut out the stencils by hand with an Exacto Knife, but this time, I chose an easier route.  I do not have a Cricut or Silhouette, so I began brainstorming ideas about how to cut out shapes without these helpful tools, and without doing them all by hand!  My sister had an amazing idea- an Ellison Press!

An Ellison Press is a tool that is owned by most schools, some libraries and teacher resource stores.  The main part is the press, and each facility purchases individual "dies" or "blocks" which contain shapes, letters, numbers or images.

I called my son's school and kindly asked if I could use the Ellison Press if I brought my own paper.  They graciously agreed, and I was able to cut nearly 50 images from freezer paper in less than 30 minutes.  It saved me so much time!

Once I got home, my husband and I ironed the freezer paper (shiny side down) onto the onesies to create the stencil.  I packed 30 onesies with freezer paper iron-ons into my suitcase and headed to Alabama, hoping that security wouldn't open my suitcase and wonder how crazy I must be!

Ironing tips:  Make sure to set your iron to no-steam.  Also make sure to move the iron slowly over the edges of the stencil.  It is super-important to get a good strong seal between the stencil and the onesie, particularly for where they meet.  This will help your paint to not run under the onesies and keep your image krisp.

I chose to use the negative space on some of the onesies, so I used a circle cutting tool to cut a large circle and placed the Ellison Press image inside the circle.  This was a nice twist on the onesies- so they weren't all just an image on a onesie.

At the baby celebration, I hung the onesies on a line of twine with clothespins and set out paint.

I did insert a piece of posterboard inside each onesie.  This is important because it keeps the paint from bleeding through to the back of the onesie.  Keep the paper in the onesie until the paint is fully dry.

I chose to put the paint in clear plastic cups.  Originally, I thought I would put it on paper plates but cups seemed to be a much better option for mess and clean-up.  I use acrylic paint, and although many sites suggest using textile medium, I do not use that.  I tried, but it made the paint very runny and honestly, my onesies are just as soft without the textile medium.

As guests arrived, they selected a onesie and a paint color.

My sister really wanted to know who painted each onesie, so I added a blue circle tag to each one for guests to write their name.

Using foam brushes, each guest painted inside the stencil.

Some painted with a single color, and others used more than one color.

Once all the onesies were painted, they were hung up on the line and left to dry while we socialized, ate and partied.

After we were done with the indoor festivities, I snuck back out onto the patio and started removing the stencils.  As people realized what I was doing, they were shocked at how amazing the onesies looked.  They couldn't believe they had painted such a great image onto baby clothes.  Most of all, my sister loved them and baby boy is so excited about his new onesie wardrobe!

Once we got home, I dried the onesies in the dryer, and then washed and dried them all.  The paint is soft, not stiff, and the colors are bright and vibrant.

Would you believe that 90% of these onesies started as white?  I dyed the orange, green and yellow onesies at my house prior to ironing on the stencils.  I'll share more about how I dyed them and some tips later this week.

Anyone else experimented with freezer paper stenciling?  What have you done and what are your tips?