Over at Urban Threads they’ve posted a nice tutorial for making a grunge-type shirt with a Western motif.

Their design uses machine embroidery, but if you don’t have access to a machine you could certainly do something similar with hand embroidery, fabric paint, or premade patches. I like that there’s a lot going on with this shirt but it all blends together harmoniously.

Even if you’re not into cow skulls (and if you aren’t, what’s wrong with you?), it’s worth checking out for two reasons:

1. It uses a variety of crafting techniques which might inspire you in other endeavors. I’m especially taken with the freezer paper/bleach stenciling thing.
2. It’s a shirt for a man. As the tutorial notes, men are hard to craft for. This is a really appealing handmade piece with no whiff of cute about it. Win!

Be sure to check out their other tutorials, too; they’ve got all kinds of good ideas.