If you have a loved one who is a policeman or woman, chances are you are very proud of them. They risk their lives to protect the citizens of their towns and cities. If you would like to show your appreciation for these valuable people, what better way to do it than with a custom-designed t-shirt that they can wear proudly when not on duty?

If making a t-shirt for your policeman or woman, you can personalize as much as you want to. Put his or her name on the back of the t-shirt, or on the front, perhaps on an arc, like on a sports jersey. You can accompany this name with an image and a funny slogan about your loved one. The image could be many things, ranging from a picture of the person to a recognizable symbol of the police force, like a pair of handcuffs, a police cap, or a police car with the lights on.

Perhaps you’d also like to make t-shirts for the whole police department. Reasons for doing this could be wide-ranging: maybe the police department did you or your family a huge service recently, or perhaps your children are learning about the police in school and want to show their respect and appreciation. Making t-shirts for the whole department could be quite fun, too. You can still personalize the shirts, with each person’s name on the back, and perhaps their picture on the front. Then you can come up with a slogan to encapsulate the whole department. It could be funny or just sincerely appreciative, like, “Thanks for all you do!” or “We couldn’t live without you!”

In the sad event that your community has lost a police officer, you can make memorial t-shirts, which the whole community could wear. Making that large amount of t-shirts wouldn’t be too expensive, and the community would likely appreciate a silent way to pay their respect and show their appreciation.

Getting your children involved in designing the t-shirts with you will be a great way to help them learn about the police and what their function in society is. Your children can brainstorm about what their ideas of police are, and why they are important in the community. This idea holds true whether you are making t-shirts for a close loved one, one particular officer that your family is familiar with, or an entire department. If you decide to make funny t-shirts, make sure that they are still respectful to the police force. Instilling a sense of gratitude and respect in your children early will probably help them later on!

Though the policemen and women won’t be able to wear their t-shirts while on duty, they can wear them proudly at home and at work functions. If you’re making the t-shirts for yourself, in honor of the policemen and women in your life, you can wear them whenever you like and give a shout out to the police department and its hard work.