Jill of All Trades

Being a college student during these economic times is tough on the wallet. Doing or making things yourself instead of buying products and services is one way students can save money.

I've learned to be a Jill of all trades and I want to share my penny-wise ways with readers so in each issue of the Accent I'll be covering do-it-yourself methods for all kinds of projects.

Ever had a cool idea for a T-shirt or wanted to design your own tote bag? Screen-printing is one of the most common methods of producing graphic tees and now it is easier than ever.

Austin crafter Viktoria Riley has developed a system to create quality screen- printing on a tiny budget. Her frugal method is reusable and costs much less than professional rates.

Riley says materials for screen-printing should cost around $20 and the following are what you'll need to complete your project:

• Value canvas - for painting with the canvas removed or a large sturdy picture frame

• Sheer Chiffon, batiste, marquisette, or mousseline fabric, but nothing stretchy and not tulle fabric. You'll need enough to cover the frame.

• Hot glue and a hot glue gun or staples and a stapler.

• Permanent marker

• Mod Podge or other decoupage glue/sealer

• Speedball, Jacquard Versatex or other fabric ink/paint

• Paint brush (if your design is very detailed you will need a small brush as well)

• Small squegee

• Plain T-shirt or whatever material you want your print on.

Start by covering the frame with the sheer fabric using either hot glue or staples to keep it in place. Hot glue makes it easier to reuse the frame for another design.

After gluing the frame, attach the fabric to the frame in this order: center of the bottom, center of the top, center of the left, center of the right, top left corner, bottom right corner, top right corner bottom left corner. Basically you attach it at opposite ends continuously so that it does not stretch or warp.

Next, draw your design onto the screen with a permanent marker. You can cut out shapes or trace an image onto the fabric with a marker since it will most likely bleed through paper onto the screen.

Using a paintbrush, fill all the negative space that you don't want to be colored with the glue or sealer. Use a smaller brush for the detailed areas and be sure to cover the entire screen all the way to the edges of the frame. Let the sealer dry.

Next, place the screen flat, drawn-on side face up, on the fabric you wish to print on. Make sure to keep the fabric taut.

Pour a heaping glop of ink or paint near your design and use the squeegee to evenly spread it all over the open, unsealed parts of the screen. When the design is equally covered, return any excess ink to its container.

Carefully lift the screen off the fabric evenly and allow the finished product to dry. Using a hair dryer will set the ink faster and your print will be less likely to fade.

Finally, there you have it - your own homemade screen print!

If you have an idea or a request for a do-it-yourself column contact Life & Arts Editor Natalie Casanova at editor2@austincc.edu.