Crescent moon and three stars at pocket heightYellow, navy. Moon opens toward the sleeve; the stars step up toward the collar. Fabric marker.
Fried egg on the left chestBlack, yellow. Wobbly outline, round yolk off-center; a white shirt supplies the white.
Paper boat on three wave linesBlack outline, blue. Boat drawn as two triangles on a hull; waves under it at pocket height.
Ringed planet the size of a coinPurple, yellow. Ring tilted, passing in front of the planet and behind it. Fabric marker.
Small heart on the left chest with a heartbeat line running into itRed, black. A zigzag line comes in from the side seam and ends at the heart. Fabric marker.
Small sun on the left chest with short rays all aroundYellow, orange. Coin-size circle where a chest pocket would sit. Fabric marker.
Small umbrella with three raindropsRed, blue. Open umbrella at pocket height, the drops falling beside it, not under.
Small whale with a spoutBlue, black. Body the length of a finger; the spout splits into two curls. Fabric marker.
Sprout with two leaves where a pocket would beGreen, brown. Short stem from a small mound of soil; leaves open left and right.
Tiny cactus in a pot at pocket heightGreen, terracotta, pink. Two arms and one flower on top; the pot no wider than three fingers.
Tiny rocket whose dotted trail curves up to the shoulder seamRed, gray, yellow. Rocket at pocket height; the dots get smaller toward the seam. Fabric marker.
Your initial inside a small circle, like a badgeOne dark color. Circle traced around a bottle cap on the left chest; the capital inside it.
Sleeves and hem 12
Clothesline from sleeve to sleeve with tiny clothes pegged onBlack line, four colors. Line sags across the chest between the sleeve seams; socks and shirts hang.
Flag of your own design on one sleeveThree colors. Small rectangle halfway down the sleeve, edged with dashes like a sewn patch.
Leafy vine circling one sleeve hem, the other sleeve plainTwo greens. Stem follows the hem stitching all the way around; leaves point toward the shoulder.
Mouse hole at the bottom hem with tiny footprints leading to itBlack, gray. Arch stands on the hem near one side seam; prints wander in from the other side.
Octopus arm curling out of one sleeve onto the chestPurple, pink. Arm starts at the sleeve seam and ends in a curl; suckers as rings. Fabric marker.
Parrot perched on one shoulder seam, tail down the sleeveRed, yellow, blue, green. Feet on the seam, facing the collar; tail feathers reach the sleeve hem.
Road running all the way around the bottom hem, a car in front and a bus behindGray, red, yellow. Dashed center line; the road's lower edge is the hem stitching.
Roller-coaster track rising and dipping along the bottom hemBlack, red, yellow. Track runs from one side seam to the other; one car at the top of a hill.
Row of dominoes toppling along the bottom hemBlack. Upright at one side seam, leaning more and more, flat at the other. Fabric marker.
Stick figures holding hands all the way around the bottom hemOne dark color. Feet on the hem stitching; the chain meets itself at a side seam. Fabric marker.
Three patterned bands above one sleeve hem, like friendship braceletsSix colors. Zigzag, diamonds and stripes, each band a finger wide. Fabric marker.
Two bands around each sleeve hem and one around the neckbandOne bold color. Ruled lines beside the stitching, the look of a ringer T-shirt. Fabric marker.
Back piece 12
Backpack drawn on: two straps over the shoulders and a zipped bag betweenBlue, yellow, black. Straps start at the shoulder seams; the bag sits between the shoulder blades.
Bee back: stripes across and two small wings at the shoulder bladesYellow, black. Wide bands from side seam to side seam; wings as two outlined ovals.
Cape hanging from the shoulders with a clasp at the neckRed, gold. Outline runs from both shoulder seams down to the hem; folds as long curved lines.
Castle standing on the bottom hem, its tallest tower reaching the collarGray, red, yellow. Gate at the middle of the hem; a flag flies from the tower under the neckband.
Jetpack with two flames reaching the hemGray, red, orange, yellow. Twin tanks between the shoulders; straps over the shoulder seams.
Number of your own with your name arched above itTwo colors. Name follows a curve under the collar; block numerals fill the middle of the back.
Parachute as wide as the shoulders, its lines running down to a small figureFour colors in panels. Canopy under the collar; the lines narrow to a figure near the hem.
Peacock tail fanning from the hem up to the shouldersBlue, green, gold. Feathers spread from the middle of the hem; an eye spot ends each one.
Row of dinosaur plates down the middle of the backGreen, orange. Kite shapes from the collar to the hem, largest at mid-back. Fabric marker.
Sun at the collar with planets on rings down to the hemYellow, blue, red, orange. Half sun under the neckband; each ring is an arc from side to side.
Tree with its trunk up the spine and branches out to the shouldersBrown, greens. Roots spread along the hem; the crown fills the space under the collar.
Wind-up key between the shoulder bladesGold or gray, black outline. Two loops and a short stem, with a drawn slot under it.
Group shirts 12
Art club palette: a dab of color and a name for every memberBrown outline, one color each. Palette across the chest; members sign beside their own dab.
Birthday balloons with a guest's name on each stringBright mix. Bunch on the front of the birthday child's shirt; guests sign down the strings.
Camp shirt: a tent, a campfire and a blank line for the camper's nameGreen, orange, black. Picture on the chest; a ruled name line under it for each child.
Class year in big outline numerals, a signature from everyone insideOne dark color, then many pens. Numerals fill the back; classmates sign within the outlines.
Crew shirts: a job title of your own across the back of eachOne color for the whole crew. Capitals between the shoulders: snacks, maps, music.
Family reunion tree: the family name on the trunk, a leaf for each personBrown, greens. Trunk up the middle of the front; each relative writes a name on one leaf.
Grandchildren in a row as stick figures, tallest to smallestOne color per child. Figures stand along a line across the chest, each drawn by its owner.
Notebook-paper back: ruled lines for last-day messagesLight blue, red. Lines across the whole back and a margin line down the left. Fabric marker.
One letter per shirt, spelling a word when the group stands in lineOne bold color. A capital as tall as the chest on each front; note the order inside the hem.
Puzzle-piece shirts: one piece each that fits the next person'sOne color per person. The same piece outline on every chest; knobs face a neighbor's blank.
Sleepover shirt: a moon and a star for each guest's nameYellow, navy. Moon at the collar; stars scattered down the front, a name in each.
Two-shirt high five: a raised hand on each, palms meeting at the side seamsOne color each. Hand outline near the side seam of both shirts, fingers toward the neighbor.
Front and center 12
Aquarium across the middle: a tank with fish, weed and a castleBlue, orange, green. Tank outline from side seam to side seam; the water line under the chest.
Comet streaking from one shoulder to the opposite hipYellow, orange. Head near the hip; the tail widens back up to the shoulder seam.
Dinosaur skeleton walking across the chestBlack. Skull toward one sleeve, tail toward the other; ribs as curved lines. Fabric marker.
Emblem of your own: a diamond shield with your initialTwo bold colors. Diamond centered under the collar, as wide as a hand span. Fabric marker.
Fox face filling the front, ears pointing up to the shouldersOrange, black, white. Nose at the middle of the shirt; pale cheeks out toward the side seams.
Gumball machine filling the front: globe on the chest, coin slot near the hemRed, gray, six candy colors. Round globe of dots under the collar; the stand narrows to the hem.
Maze running from the collar to the hem, with a start and a finishOne dark color. Entrance under the neckband, exit at the hem; walls drawn along a ruler.
Motto of your own in three stacked lines, the middle line largestTwo colors. Capitals centered on the chest, the middle line as wide as the shirt allows.
Stack of pancakes with syrup dripping toward the hemTan, brown, yellow. Stack centered on the chest, butter on top; three drips run downward.
Sunglasses drawn hanging from the neckbandBlack, one bright color. One arm tucked behind the collar; the lenses rest on the chest.
Trading card of yourself: a portrait, your name and three made-up scoresBlack, gold, your own colors. Card outline fills the chest; a name bar and numbers of your own below.
Volcano erupting at chest height, lava running to the hemGray, red, orange. Cone in the middle; lava streams split and reach the bottom stitching.
How it works
A T-shirt is named for the T its body and sleeves make. These 60 drawings use every part: a small one at pocket height, a band around a sleeve, one big picture on the back, and twelve for group shirts.
Read the full guide
Small, along an edge or the whole back
Pocket-sized drawings sit on the left chest where a pocket would be: Fried egg on the left chest. Sleeves and hem designs follow the stitching, like Row of dominoes toppling along the bottom hem. A back piece fills the space between the shoulders, as Wind-up key between the shoulder blades does.
Shirts for a class, a camp or a family
Twelve designs are finished by the group: Class year in big outline numerals, a signature from everyone inside, or One letter per shirt, spelling a word when the group stands in line. The names and words are your own.
Slide cardboard inside the shirt so the front lies flat and firm while you draw.
Questions and answers
What can I use to draw on a T-shirt?
Fabric markers, which are sold for drawing on cloth. Whether a drawing needs setting, how long it lasts and how to wash the shirt are answered on the marker's label; we have not tested any.
What are easy things to draw on a T-shirt?
The twelve pocket-sized drawings. Each is a few shapes no bigger than a hand, such as Crescent moon and three stars at pocket height or Sprout with two leaves where a pocket would be, so a slip stays small too.
What should we draw on a class T-shirt?
Something everyone adds to. Notebook-paper back: ruled lines for last-day messages gives each classmate a line to write on, and Art club palette: a dab of color and a name for every member gives each a color.