Fashion

Glam Up Your Shorts Not Just Your Skin

Placing the tattoo design on the short

A temporary pop of shimmer and glam to your springtime wardrobe is made easy with Metallic Temporary Tattoos! With easy application and removal, using temporary tattoos to decorate your shorts or any fabric is a fun project for kids and adults alike.

Pick your tattoos

Metallic temporary tattoos make for a great, short term, decorative ornament for denim shorts, as well as many fabrics. TemporaryTattoos.com has a great variety of metallic temporary tattoos to choose from. When preparing to decorate your shorts be sure to order multiples of each design. If there are any issues while decorating, it is good to have extras of each design and plenty of designs to choose from. You never know when inspiration will strike! 

decorate your shorts

Set up your design

Once you have decided on what temporary tattoos you like, take a moment to lay them out on the shorts. If you have chosen a sheet of tattoos with multiple images, you should cut out the different tattoos to make laying them out easier. 

Cutting the sticker tattoo

Placing the tattoo design on the short

Trimming Tattoos

Most temporary tattoos come on a square or rectangle shaped paper backing. In order to see a better layout of your chosen temporary tattoo, trimming the paper around the image can help. When trimming around the temporary tattoo, leave a small border as some adhesive may be wider than the image. Be sure to place the temporary tattoo image side down (with the plastic sheet still attached) to layout the design. Now you are ready to apply. 

Cutting the butterfly tattoo

Placing the butterfly tattoo on the short

Apply the Temporary Tattoos

The number one rule when applying a temporary tattoo to a fabric is to keep the fabric as dry as possible. Using a spray bottle and paper towel will help regulate the amount of water being used to apply the temporary tattoo. When applying a thin temporary tattoo, like the one used on the seam of the shorts, try to spray the paper towel with just enough water to cover the width of the temporary tattoo so not to get the denim wet. A little water will go a long way.

Remove the plastic sheet and place the temporary tattoo face down on the denim where it is being applied. Try not to apply pressure until the temporary tattoo is in the desired spot. The temporary tattoos are sticky and can be damaged if pressure is applied, then moved. Spray the paper towel with enough water to dampen the towel. Blot the paper backing of the temporary tattoo until the back is wet throughout. Slowly peel a corner of the paper to see if the tattoo has adhered. If the corner is attached to the fabric, slowly peel back the rest of the tattoo backing until it is fully removed. Continue this process until all of the temporary tattoos are in place.

Adding tattoo to short step 1

Adding tattoo to short step 2

Adding tattoo to short step 3

Adding tattoo to short step 3

OOPS! Fixing Mistakes

If the denim is too wet or there are issues applying the temporary tattoo, don’t worry, they are TEMPORARY! This is why you order multiples. To remove a temporary tattoo, grab a small hand towel, add a small amount of water and rub that temporary tattoo until it is removed. Once the tattoo is removed, the denim will be wet. Wait until the denim dries before attempting to reapply.

Fixing Mistake 1

Fixing Mistake 2

Fixing Mistake 3

Removal

To remove the temporary tattoos from the shorts soak the garment in warm water for 3 minutes. Using your fingers, find the edge of the tattoo and slowly peel off. Once most of the tattoo is removed follow your washing machine instructions for a normal cycle. After washing the garment, check the bottom of the washer’s drum to remove any transfer residue.

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