How to: bleach design t-shirts..you can do it!

It doesn't get much easier than this! The kids loved creating their own special shirt. Although we followed the same steps, each shirt has it's own look.

Supply list for this simple kiddo craft: Freezer paper, Scissors or razor blade, Pencil or pen, Stick-on letters (if you want words on your shirt),  Iron, T-shirt (any color but white, but darker colors work the best), spray bottle with 80% bleach 20% water, container for rinsing shirt

1. Allow the kiddos to draw a design for the shirt on freezer paper (the non-wax side)

2. Cut out the design and iron it onto the shirt (wax side to shirt). Once the design in cool, allow them to add sticker letters if desired. 

(not sure why he chose "story lover", but glad he loved it!)

3. Lay the shirts out in an area that is safe to spray bleach. Make sure your container (or bowl) of clean water is ready so you can dip the shirt after you spray. Spray the shirt with a 80% bleach/20% water solution. I used an old no more tears bottle that had been cleaned.

4. The longer you leave the bleach on the shirt the lighter the shirt will become. The more bleach you use the greater the contrast. This one had a lot of bleach and sat for about 1 minute before rinsing. When you have the desired color change dip the shirt in the clean water and rinse throughly.

5. Peal off your design and letter and allow it to dry in the sun. This shirt we used less bleach and only let it sit for about 30 seconds. As it dries the color change will be more evident (see picture below for final product).  

6. If desired turn the shirt over and add another design or just mist with bleach solution to match the color of the front. Once you dip in the water you can allow it to dry in the sun or wash it immediately. I used a color catcher when I washed all five shirts together. After the first wash the smell of bleach was still strong, but after the second wash and dry they were ready to wear.

7. Let the kiddos enjoy their new creation.

This is great for old t-shirts that have seen better days, and I just love this twist on the same basic idea.