Go Back

How to Make a Painted Jean Jacket

Paint your own denim jacket with a stencil and Testors Craft Fabric Spray Paint.
30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Author Angie Holden

What You Will Need

  • Testors Fabric Spray Paint you can purchase at Menards, True Value, and Do-It-Best
  • Cricut machine
  • Freezer paper
  • Jean jacket
  • Painter's tape
  • Paper
  • Cardboard
  • EasyPress mini or iron

Instructions

Choosing a Design

  • A few things to consider when you are choosing a design that will work with your project:
  • Look for designs that will stay in one piece once you cut them. That means that any internal pieces should be connected to the edges.Fonts should be made for stenciling so that the centers of any letters are connected to the outer edge of the design.Consider where you will put the design on your jacket to determine sizing. This may influence your choice of design as well as many of these jackets have seams in odd places.
  • I chose both a floral and a lettered design for my examples. You can pick and choose something that works with your style as well as any event that you may wear this jacket to.

How to Cut Freezer Paper on a Cricut

  • Add the freezer paper to a light grip mat with the shiny side down. I just trimmed my freezer paper to the size of my mat.
  • Then choose the 20 lb copy paper setting in Design Space or the freezer paper setting if you have it setup as a custom setting. Move the design to the middle of the mat before cutting. You do NOT have to mirror the design before cutting.

Adding a Freezer Paper Stencil to Fabric

  • Once your design is cut, flip the mat over to peel off the freezer paper. Remove it carefully so it does not rip. If you have your design correct, this should remove in one piece. TIP: Put your jacket on some cardboard now so you can move the entire thing outside when it is time to paint.
  • Press the jacket to remove any wrinkles then locate the stencil in place on your jacket.
  • Use an EasyPress mini or even an iron to adhere the freezer paper to the surface. It takes just a few seconds in each location.
  • Add painter's tape around the outside edge of your stencil.
  • Use the painter's tape to hold scrap paper all the way around the outside edge. I find it best to cover up the entire jacket to protect it from overspray.

Using Fabric Spray Paint

  • Pick up the entire thing (including the cardboard) and take it outside to spray. Here are a few tips and tricks for spraying so your project is successful:
  • Spray paint when it is warm for best results.Shake your can well before starting and frequently during application.Spray in light coats that are a few minutes apart. Spray one light coat. Wait 2 minutes then follow with another light coat.Overspray on both sides of the stencil. Start far to the left, spray over the stencil and end the pass far to the right. That way you don't have any pooling on the stencil itself.Stay 6 - 12 inches from the stencil when spraying and spray from the top straight down. I felt that 3 - 4 coats was adequate for the look that I wanted. You can, however, do more coats to make the painted area look more white in this case.After spraying, wait 5 to 10 minutes before peeling back the stencil.
  • When you remove the stencil, just peel it back from the fabric. It will remove easily. It may rip and leave some small pieces on the fabric. Just lift these with some tweezers.

Painted Fabric Care Instructions

  • Once you are done, you will want to follow all directions on the can of Testors Fabric Spray paint. That includes to wait 30 minutes before handling your project. It will be dry in 3 hours but you want to wait 3 days before washing. You do not have to do any heat setting with this product and it will dry soft to the touch.