Create Your Own Length-Check Shirt!

Creativity is in my blood, and I truly believe that it runs on both sides of my family. A huge part of my love for crafting is the fact that I have the ability to make certain things instead of spending money to get them. I was not willing to spend money on a length check shirt simply because there are better things I could use that money for and, I really just wanted to make my own. 😁

The other day, I was going over some old clothes that I planned to add to the "Goodwill" bag to donate, and I came across a tie-dye shirt I designed in 2014 at the daycare I used to work at. It was my first time ever doing tie-dye and my co-workers and I had fun creating our own shirts as well as shirts for the kiddies.

This was right after it dried in the sun. The colors were so vibrant!

As you can see, the tie-dye had faded considerably since then. I didn't want to donate the shirt because it reminded me of the amazing experiences I had while working at the daycare, and that's when I decided that it would be perfect for a DIY length check shirt. There's always a variety of craft items in my house at any given time, so I did not have to go out to buy any supplies. If you're planning on doing this yourself, you'll need a t-shirt, a ruler, masking tape, acrylic paint, some cosmetic sponges and of course, paint brushes. 

I created the measuring tool on the back of the shirt according to the average length check chart. In order to get the most accurate measurement, I had my sister help me mark my armpit, my bra strap, the middle of my back, my waist, my tailbone and my hip.

Before you paint anything, make sure to put a piece of cardboard in between the shirt to prevent the paint from bleeding onto the front of the shirt. I forgot while doing the first application but the bleeding isn't too visible on the front. I then used masking tape as a stencil for the lines. I made sure that the edges were as smooth as possible to prevent the paint from seeping underneath the tape, and I used the cosmetic sponge to paint each line. Two coats were enough for me since I used black paint.

Next came the best part: peeling off the tape. Look at those crisp lines!  

Instead of painting the acronyms for each measurement, I decided at the last minute to apply some rhinestone letters for a more glamorous look. 

Although I consider myself to be a perfectionist, I was surprisingly excited to paint my own designs and motivational messages by hand. I also did it by hand because I didn't have letter stencils. So the perfectionist in me said...

Here's the final product!

As for the front of the shirt, I'll be using the blank space to mark my progress each month as well as my length in inches. Since I've recently hit collarbone length, I marked the month and length. This progress is amazing considering I was past armpit length with my relaxed hair not too long ago. I'll regain that length and more in no time!

This DIY was so much fun to do and I can't wait to track my hair growth until I hit hip length one day. Getting there will take years to accomplish but I'm determined to grow healthy natural hair and enjoy the results of my hard work.

Thank you so much for reading and let me know if you plan to create your own length check shirt. Take a picture and post it to my Facebook page or to Instagram using the hashtag hairhealthandheart so that I can see your awesome creations. ¡Adiós, chicas!