Start with the theme, then the audience
Your VBS shirt has to work for two groups: kids who will wear it all week and leaders who need to be easy to spot. Many churches use one design in two colours, one for kids and one for leaders and volunteers.
Design ideas that work
- Theme art with the dates and church name on the back. The front stays clean, the back carries the details.
- A single verse in bold type. Easy to read, easy to print well.
- A leader version. Same artwork, different colour, with "Leader" or "Team" on the sleeve or back.
- One-colour designs. Simple art prints cleanly on most shirt colours and keeps things readable.
Count sizes before you order
Collect child sizes at registration. Add a few extra in the middle sizes for walk-ups. Adult sizes for leaders are easiest to gather in one sign-up. If you use Planning Center, your event sign-ups can feed into the portal and shirt sizes are counted for you. OTTM only reads from Planning Center, never changes anything there, and never stores your members' names.
The timeline
Most churches run VBS in July or August. Approve your proof at least 3 weeks before your first day. Production takes about 10 business days after approval, and the extra time covers shipping and late registrations. Ordering in May or early June keeps it calm.
If registration runs late, rush orders are ready in 5 business days for an extra 25%.
Common mistakes
- Ordering before registration closes, then reordering sizes
- Too many ink colours on the artwork
- Forgetting leader shirts
Planning your VBS shirts? See our custom VBS shirts.