100th day of school shirt ideas that need no sewing machine

Use a plain cotton or cotton-blend shirt in a light color: white, gray, yellow or pastel. Light fabric makes dark markers and paint readable, and it hides the cardboard you slide inside. Prewash and dry the shirt so it does not shrink after the design goes on. Cut a piece of cardboard to fit inside the shirt, front and back; it stops paint from bleeding through and gives a flat drawing surface. If the shirt is new, press it flat with no steam. Set out the design on paper first, because erasing fabric marker is not a thing.

1. Fabric markers. Draw dots, stripes or a 10×10 grid. 20 to 30 minutes. Heat-set according to the marker package. 2. Fabric paint and painter's tape. Tape a 100 or a simple shape, paint inside, peel while tacky. 30 minutes plus drying. 3. Puffy paint. Write '100 Days Smarter' and add 100 dots. Dry flat for 24 hours; do not stack. 4. Fabric glue and felt. Cut a gumball machine, school bus or 100 from felt and glue it on. 30 minutes plus 24 hours drying. 5. Iron-on vinyl. Cut a design, place it with the shiny side down, cover with parchment and press. No sewing, but read the vinyl instructions. 6. Printable transfer paper. Print the design in mirror image, trim, and press according to the paper instructions. Best for text and small graphics. 7. Stickers and stick-on foam. Fastest option for a one-day shirt; not washable, so save it for photos. 8. Googly eyes. Glue 100 eyes in ten rows of ten. Use fabric glue, not school glue, and hand wash. 9. Pom-poms or buttons. Glue 100 small pom-poms or buttons into a pattern or a gumball machine. 30 to 45 minutes; hand wash. 10. Safety pins or beads. Pin 100 safety pins in rows, or thread 100 beads onto pins and attach. Removable, washable and good for a child who wants to reuse the shirt.

Potato or sponge stamps. Cut a simple shape, dip it in fabric paint and stamp 100 times. A potato makes a star or a circle; a sponge makes a block. Fingerprints. Press 100 fingerprints in ten rows of ten, then turn each print into a balloon, a bug or a face with a marker. Bleach pen. On a dark shirt, draw 100 dots or a big 100; work outside and rinse when the color develops. Tie-dye with rubber bands. Bind the shirt with 100 rubber bands for a pattern of small circles; this is no-sew but messy, so do it outside. Rhinestones or studs. Glue or iron on 100 small stones in a shape. Letter stickers as a resist. Stick letters spelling '100', paint over the shirt, and peel when dry for a negative-space design.

Sayings: 100 Days Smarter; 100 Days Brighter; 100 Days of School; 100 Days in the Books; 100 Days of Sunshine; 100 Days of Kindness; 100 Days of Learning; 100 Days of Fun; 100 Days and Counting; 100 Days Down, 80 to Go; 100 Reasons to Celebrate; 100 Days of Growing; 100 Days of Friendship; 100 Days of Awesome; 100 Days of Superpowers; 100 Days of Magic; 100 Days of Discovery; 100 Days of Giggles; 100 Days of Teamwork; 100 Days of Big Ideas. Designs: a gumball machine with 100 pom-poms; 100 balloons; 100 stars; 100 dots in ten rows; 100 googly eyes; 100 buttons; 100 stickers; 100 hearts; 100 flowers; 100 fish; 100 apples; 100 pencils; 100 book spines; 100 puzzle pieces; 100 LEGO bricks; 100 fingerprints; 100 handprints; 100 peace signs; 100 smiley faces; 100 tiny rainbows. Pick one saying and one design; two strong elements read better than five weak ones.

This is the shirt version of the 100 things project. Draw a 10×10 grid on the shirt with a washable marker or thin tape, then attach one small item per square. Good items: buttons, pom-poms, googly eyes, stickers, foam shapes, beads, safety pins, small felt squares, sequins or paper confetti under a layer of fabric glue. Keep the items light and flat, and put the heaviest ones near the bottom. Attach with fabric glue, one dot per item, and dry flat for 24 hours. Do not put food on the shirt. If the shirt will be washed, hand wash cold and air dry; if it is for photos only, stickers are fine.

The old-fashioned shirt is usually a button-up, a cardigan or a floral blouse from a family closet. Add a string of pearls, a pair of glasses, a pocket watch, suspenders or a bow tie. For hair, use baby powder or white hairspray, or a gray wig. A cane, a knitted blanket and slippers finish the look. Everything is no-sew and can come from home. Keep the costume comfortable enough for a full school day and skip anything that blocks the eyes or makes stairs unsafe. If the class has a no-costume rule, a 100th day shirt is the back-up.

A freezer-paper stencil is the cheapest way to get a crisp shape. Draw the design on freezer paper, cut it out, iron the shiny side to the shirt, and paint inside the opening with fabric paint. Peel the paper while the paint is still tacky. Contact paper works the same way but does not need an iron. For text, print the words on transfer paper, or use letter stickers as a stencil and paint around them. A simple 100 can be drawn with painter's tape: tape two zeros and a one, paint the negative space, and peel. Test every method on an old shirt or a scrap of fabric first.

Read the paint or glue label before you start. Most fabric paints need 24 hours of drying and then a heat set with an iron over parchment paper. Fabric glue needs 24 to 72 hours, flat, with nothing stacked on top. Turn the shirt inside out to wash, use cold water and a gentle cycle, and air dry anything with glue or pom-poms. Do not iron directly over a design; use a pressing cloth. If the shirt has stickers or paper, treat it as a costume, not laundry. Photograph the finished shirt before school, because glitter and googly eyes have a short life.

A group shirt works best with one bold design and one color. Print or paint a big 100 on the front and the class name on the back; each child can add a name or a fingerprint. For a staff shirt, use a school color and the words '100 Days, Still Standing.' Production line: cut the stencils ahead of time, set up one paint station per table, and let each shirt dry on a sheet of newspaper. Bulk plain shirts are cheaper than custom ones, and a group photo in matching shirts is the souvenir.

If the shirt is needed tomorrow, use fabric markers and a ruler. Draw ten rows of ten dots, then write '100 Days Smarter' above them. Or stick 100 small stickers in a grid and call it a 100-item shirt. A permanent marker works on cotton in a pinch; heat-set it with an iron and wash inside out. For a last-minute group, buy plain shirts and a set of fabric markers, write the same saying on each, and let the children add their own dots. The shirt does not need to be perfect; it needs to be finished before the bus.