Thursday, February 13, 2014

DIY Day. Hand-Painted Tights!


I saw an article on Etsy awhile back on painting designs on a pair of tights.  I stuck it in my memory bank for later use.  A few days ago I decided that this would be the perfect project for Valentines' Day.  

I really wanted pink hearts on brown tights, but a pair of tan ones(which ended up looking a little like surgical stockings before they were painted) were all I could find on short notice.  I stopped at WalMart this morning for the tights, paint and a sponge because for the life of me, I couldn't find one anywhere in the house.




I cut a heart freehand from one of the sponges.  My scissors weren't super sharp, but they worked.  I'm pretty good at freehand, and this heart took me about two minutes to cut.  



It was easy!  First, put the tights on so that you can control placement of your design, taking into account the stretch factor. My sponge is about 2.5" across, so I got a fairly bold design.  Initially, I thought I would be very careful and deliberate about the placement, but the random hearts, although large, were fun but not overwhelming.  Paint the front and sides then just sit there and let it dry. The paint dries quickly, but if you're in a real hurry, grab the blow dryer.  After they're dry, peel the tights off carefully, turn them around and put them on again.  Now, you can paint the other side!






Because the paint will soak through, you'll need to remove it from your skin.  You can use a little soap and water, or in my case, I covered my legs with lotion and wiped with a dry towel.  I can always use the extra moisturization.  
And the finished product looks pretty cute!  See?