Unit 13 - Ordering My Merchandise
As I've mentioned throughout this project, my goal is to make most of this merchandise myself to test my capabilities and problem-solving skills. Therefore, I need quite a few different items to complete my work. Starting with the t-shirts, I began by buying five t-shirts from Amazon before realising I could get them for around 50p cheaper from a local shop. Therefore, I ended up purchasing six t-shirts for £2.50 each alongside my Amazon t-shirts which came to around £3 each. As I was printing everything myself, I decided to browse a couple of shops online until I found the cheapest supplies, which ended up being The Range. I decided to purchase acrylic paint and fabric medium to mix together instead of fabric paint itself as I've heard that the mix creates a smoother finish that's less likely to crack and bend.
White acrylic paint = £3.49
Black acrylic paint = £3.49
Fabric medium to transform the paint = £4.99
I also purchased this brush which I then cut to create a short stapling bristled brush but I ended up just using a random sponge I owned that was still in it's packaging as I felt it was much more efficient and it had a smoother, cleaner finish. The brush ended up costing two pound but I've decided not to include it in the final cost as I didn't use it in any of the shirts I sold.
Overall cost:
Five medium shirts = £15
Three large shirts = £7.50
Three small shirts = £7.50
White paint = £3.49
Black paint = £3.49
Fabric medium = £4.99
Total = £41.97
Per t-shirt (11 shirts) = Approx £3.81/£3.82
Overall, if I sell the shirts for five pound each, I should earn my money back over time, even if I don't sell them all at this upcoming gig. I've been researching t-shirt designing online and I think this will be a fun process for me. Next time I want to try out designing the print myself (both back and front) and then providing the design and shirt to a printing company so I can ensure a higher, long-lasting quality.
