Bleach Striped Tee
Confession: I have a mini collection of plain t-shirts that I have intentions of refashioning.
One of the refashions I have been wanting to try for a while is decorating a shirt using bleach.
I finally gave it a try and, I have to say, it was a lot of fun!
Supplies:
(1) tarp, drop cloth, (2) t-shirt form, t-shirt, water, bleach, paper towels,
3M TEKK Protection ((3) respirator, (4) safety glasses, and (5) rubber gloves), ScotchBlue Painter's Tape
To bleach a t-shirt you're going to need to do a little prep work.
You need to protect the surface you work on in case you spill any bleach.
I worked in the garage because a) I'm not afraid of damaging the concrete and b) I can ventilate the area by cracking the garage door.
I laid a tarp on the floor followed by a piece of drop cloth.
You also need to protect the t-shirt by making something to stick inside it to prevent the bleach from soaking straight through to the back.
I dismantled a cardboard box so that I had one long rectangular piece.
I then covered the front with Duck tape.
Now I have something to protect the bleach from going through the front of the shirt to the back.
As far as protective gear goes, the rubber gloves are a definite must have.
You do NOT want any bleach to make contact with your skin.
The safety glasses should be worn when pouring the bleach, but not necessarily during the actual bleach-the-shirt process. There is very little chance of splattering once we start the process.
You will want the face respirator if you're not able to work outside or in a well ventilated area.
And, last but not least, you want to wear the oldest, most grungiest clothes possible.
I also opted for long sleeves to protect my arms from the bleach.
Use the Scotch Blue tape to create a pattern on your shirt.
I used it to tape down a long strip of decorative ribbon.
Put on your safety glasses and, in an old bowl, mix equal parts bleach and water.
Take a paper towel (I used the super absorbent ones you can find in automotive stores), and fold it in half several times.
Don the rubber gloves, dip the paper towel in the bleach mixture, blot off any excess liquid,
and gently dab the shirt.
I repeated the process two more times to create three stripes down the t-shirt.
The decorative ribbon plan backfired because I over blotted with the bleach, but I still love the effect of the stripes! I almost looks like tie dye.
Once last thing to do.
Add some paint to the stripes to add a little more to the look!
Use the Scotch Blue tape to tape off all of the stripes.
Mix some acrylic paint with textile medium to make it okay to use on fabric (it makes the paint soft).
Dip a stippling brush into the paint and then blot most of the paint off.
Pounce the brush on the shirt to lightly add the paint.
Remove the tape, allow the paint to dry, then wash the shirt.
I love that I was able to create something completely unique using a little bleach, water, and tape!
Disclosure: This post is a sponsored post paid for by 3M DIY, but the ideas and tutorial are my own.
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Michele, I love this simple and chic project. Beautifully done!
I love it! My favorite? the gear you wore to make it....
LOL!
Crystelle
http://www.crystelleboutique.com
I've seen this on pinterest and have been wanting to try it but I haven't been brave enough. I'm glad to hear yours turned out so well. I'll have to give it a try one of these days!
Great DIY. Would love if if you linked up on my blog hop http://www.w-t-fab.com/search/label/bloghop. Also let me know if you'd like to follow each other!
Love this - that color is so bright and fun!
So creative and it turned out so cute! Thanks for the inspiration!
Kelly @ View Along the Way
http://www.viewalongtheway.com
I love the stripes idea! I've tried bleaching whole shirts, and that just hasn't worked, but the stripes is great!
Clever design.
I've wanted to try bleaching a shirt, too, but haven't yet. I love how yours turned out!
We'd love for you to share this post at our Finished Friday Linky.
This turned out nice! I should do this to complete the look on some shirts that have splashed bleach on them by accident. Thanks for sharing.Donna @onceuponsaseingmachine.com
How unique!
That looks great! I've used bleach to decorate shirts before too and I loved the way they turned out.
Really cute! I've always wanted to try this!
Great idea...so fun. Love this technique.
Super cute idea!
I need to try this bleaching method...I played with bleach too much as a kid (maybe that explains some things about me haha) I liked 3M on FB!
Love how your shirt turned out Michele! You never know what Bleach will do--it has a mind of its own! 😉
So cute Michele!!! I love the stripes - and the paint really finishes them off!! I definitely have some shirts that need updating too!
I like the effect it gave.Sometimes when a plan fails, it's not really a failure. It looks great!