How to Iron on Letters on a Shirt

As people grow older, their handwriting changes. If you’re a girl, yours usually gets a lot neater and easier to read. If you’re a boy, you’re out of luck. But some boys do prove people wrong, and have just as neat handwriting as girls do. No matter how neat your handwriting is, not a lot of people have an easy time writing on t-shirts. So many things can go wrong. You write too small so no one can see. You write too big so you can’t fit all of the letters. You misspell a word so now you awkwardly have to try and squeeze a letter into a very small space between the other ones. You think you wrote perfectly and then you take a step back and notice you didn’t write in a straight line. You’re on a roll until a wrinkle in the t-shirt gets in your way and the marker smudges, and then it’s all downhill. Well, all of these problems can one hundred percent be fixed with iron-on letters. They can fit into almost anyone’s budget; they are only ten dollars for a whole pack! Iron-on letters are stress-free and easy; you can put them on a t-shirt in a matter of twenty minutes. All you need are a white or dark colored t-shirt, a package of iron-on letters, an iron, a bandana, and a flat surface.

I got my supplies from A.C. Moore in Danvers, MA. You can get your supplies there, too. Luckily, everything was close together and easy to find. Head for the aisle of t-shirts. You’ll see the iron-on letters right next to them, and the bandanas were nearby. All of the supplies were right near the cash register, so it’s easy to get in and out fast. Whether you need to make a team t-shirt, a party favor, a t-shirt for fun, or a present, it doesn’t get a lot better than iron-on letters. It sure beats the fabric marker! 

Step 1: Find a flat surface to iron on (this may not be so easy if you live in a dorm room or are a typical teenager or young adult, but try your best).

Step 2: Gather your materials together. Just a reminder, your materials are a t-shirt, iron, iron-on letters, scissors, and a bandana (or other square cotton cloth). Make sure all of your materials are in sight.

Step 3: Cut out the letters you wish to iron on the t-shirt and arrange them in the order the word(s) is spelled.

Step 4: Fill your iron halfway with water. Make sure to set the iron to “wool mode.”

Step 5: Wait a minute for the iron to heat up. DO NOT touch the metal plate or else you might have to make a trip to the emergency room!

Step 6: Place your t-shirt on your flat surface. Iron out all of the wrinkles on the shirt and try to make the surface smooth.

Step 7: Arrange the letters on the t-shirt from left to right as you’re looking at the shirt’s surface. It would really stink if you by accidently placed the letters from right to left, then the word would be backwards!

Step 8: Make sure the transparent side of the letter faces up. The transparent side is the shiny, plastic one.

Step 9: Place your bandana (or cotton sheet) on top of the letters.

Step 10: Iron the bandana or cotton sheet on top of the letters for approximately 1 minute. During this time, you could sing a happy song to make the time fly by.

Step 11: Take the bandana off, and flip the shirt over (letters side down) and iron the back for approximately 20 seconds. That may be too short of a time to sing a happy song.

Step 12: Put the iron to the side and make sure its in stand up position. Don’t forget to turn it off.

Step 13: Hold down the t-shirt with one hand and slowly peel off the transparencies one at time. Start the process by carefully lifting a corner. Take your time peeling.

Step 14: Throw away the transparencies in the garbage and put all other materials away.

Step 15: Admire your t-shirt, and put it on with pride!