This week, I show you how to add a splash of color to a dark tee shirt -- using bleach!
Thanks to all who entered, the lucky winner is Cindy! She said "My favorite bleach has always been Clorox but I love the new splash resistant formula. Gotta win this darling tee!" We'll be in touch with you soon, and congratulations!
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You can use a pre-made tee for this project, or you can make your own tee using the free Liberty Jane Trendy Tee Shirt pattern. (Making your own tee allows you to run tests on the fabric before bleaching your final tee....this can be a good idea if you are timid about just jumping in.)
You'll need a dark colored doll tee shirt, some masking tape, diluted bleach in a spray bottle, and vinegar. (Don't forget some safety gear -- bleach is a pretty nasty critter!)
The most dilute bleach solution that will work, is one part bleach to eight parts water. Of course, if you want more extreme color change, you can use a stronger solution than that -- but don't go beyond one part bleach to two parts water. I'm using about a 1:4 ratio of bleach to water, in this tutorial.
Using an exacto knife and the masking tape, cut out some shapes ("resists"). You could also do this with scissors.
Carefully, peel up the resists, and stick them down firmly to your shirt. Protect the back of the tee with a piece of scrap cardboard, and you're ready to bleach!
Protect your work space with an old rag towel, and then apply the diluted bleach in a couple of quick sprays. It takes a few minutes to see any activity, so don't fret if you don't see anything at first. (It can actually take up to 10-15 minutes for maximum color change.)
While you're waiting, mix up equal parts of water and vinegar in a bucket. The vinegar will neutralize the bleach, and thus put a stop to its fiber-eating activities.
When you're happy with how much the color has lightened, drop your shirt into the vinegar and water mixture. Swish the shirt around, and let it sit for another 15 minutes or so.
Peel off the bits of masking tape, and throw the tee in the wash. Let it dry, and you're done!
I love the way this technique uses ordinary household supplies, to get such a 'tough urban girl' feel.
Now -- would you like to win this fun little tee?
To enter, you only need to leave a comment below, finishing this sentence:
"My favorite kind of bleach is....."
We'll pick a winner on Monday, 22 September, and get in touch via email.
Thanks for following along, everyone -- have fun with this!
For Pixie Faire,
Melinda
Chlorox. So cute. Will try this soon. Thanks for your fun site!
My favorite bleach is any kind of Oxygen bleach.
uh… stuff that doesn’t smell disgusting :D
I just use whatever my mom has, which I think is Walmart’s version of Clorox.
I always use Clorox bleach. I don’t use it often so a bottle can last me many years.
I like the cleaning power of Clorox. Its different scents give me choices. For something that would continually bleed when dying I use shout color catcher. It has saved a number of things from turning to an unwearable item. I would use them even after soaking in the vinegar solution, just to make sure.
I normally buy the store brand to save a little money. If I have a coupon I prefer Chlorox. Could you please provide the dilution of bleach used in this technique?
Clorox, but we only buy it in small bottles when we need it bc if we had a large bottle no one would own black or dark blue in our family anymore. :-D
Clorox! But I’d really like to win the one you made and avoid all the smelly fumes.
Clorox bleach. LOVE this idea!
When I use bleach, it has to be Clorax, it just seems to get the job done so much better!! I love the effects this technique and can’t wait to try it.
javex
. . . Clorox!
Ohhhh, this t-shirt is AWEsome! Just saw this technique on another site and bookmarked it to do one and just found a dark grey heather rib knit I want to try this on. Love the color your shirt bleached to and hope mine’s as pretty - unless I’m lucky enough to win yours?!!! ;)
clorox
Clorox
Chlorox….or any store brand that is original scent…no scented, please! :-)
I’d love to enter! This t-shirt is so cute! What a great idea! Thanks for sharing it!
I don’t use bleach often (I prefer the “bleach for non bleachables”!), but when I do, it is La Parisienne!
I prefer Clorox bleach. I haven’t done bleach resist since college. This should be fun!
My favorite kind of bleach is Clorox
Clorox
Shawn
September 19, 2014
Clorox SPLASHLESS. I seem to get it everywhere, so this works well for me!