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Drawing on fabric is one of the most calming things that I do (second only to watching baby sloth videos on YouTube). The fun of this simple, DIY tank top and its hand-drawn print is that you can create whatever design you want, and repeat it as many times as you want. That means you could potentially customize fabric…forever! Let’s get started.

What you’ll need:

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  • Fabric (I used about one yard)
  • A piece of cardboard or an old magazine
  • Fabric markers
  • Paper
  • A pen
  • Scissors
  • Straight pins
  • A sewing machine or a needle and thread

How to do it:

Step One

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Fold your fabric in half, and lay it out flat.

Step Two

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Slide a thick piece of cardboard or an old magazine in between the fold of the fabric, to keep the fabric marker’s ink from bleeding through when you draw your design.

Step Three

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Pick up a fabric marker and start drawing! Beginning at the folded edge of the fabric, doodle anything your li’l heart desires. I chose faces, because drawing them in repeating patterns is calming to me. Make sure to press down while you draw so that the lines are fluid and not blotchy. Draw as much or as little as you want, and space things out as you please! I drew my face pattern in an area that was about 28 inches high and, from the fold, 13 inches wide.

Step Four

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Now, flip the fabric over and draw on the other side! You can make the same pattern, or switch it up. It’s your call! When you finish, your fabric will look something like this:

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Step Five

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To make the tank top’s pattern, grab a favorite tank, fold it in half, and lay it on a piece of paper. Trace around the tank, like in the photo above. Then cut it out like so:

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Step Six

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Line your pattern up on the folded edge of your newly printed, fabulous fabric. Using straight pins, pin the pattern into place. Cut around the pattern and through both sides of the fabric. Then, line up your pattern on the folded edge of the fabric once more, pin the pattern into place again, and cut around the pattern a final time. When you’re done, you’ll have two super-cute sides of a tank top:

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Step Seven

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Bring the two sides of the tank top together so the drawn-on sides are facing each other. Use straight pins to connect the side seams and shoulder seams. Sew straight lines through each shoulder seam and both side seams. Turn the shirt inside out and…

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Look at that! A tank top with art by you, for you. ♦