Bleached T-Shirts Take 2....Now that's more like it!

Okay, so my first try didn't go as planned. But that's okay. Live and learn, right?
The second try was so much more what I had in mind.
The thing I love about this project is you don't need to have any fancy cutting machines or equipment.
And it's quick, easy, fun and inexpensive.
Perfect in my opinion!

Let me walk you through it.

Supplies:

• A colored T-shirt (Yellow doesn't work very well)
• Bleach
• Small Spray Bottle (a travel hairspray bottle worked perfectly)
• A design (I got mine from www.picmonkey.com )
• Clear or light colored contact paper
• Sharpie (permanent marker)
• Scissors
• Tape
• Plastic Bag
• Rubber Gloves (not mandatory but nice to have)
• Well ventilated area

I started by printing a design on regular paper and then taping it to a window.
I then taped a piece of clear contact paper over the top of the design with the vinyl side facing me.
I traced the design onto the contact paper.

In this picture the design was traced onto the paper not the vinyl but believe me it's a lot easier if you trace it onto the vinyl.

After the design was traced I simply cut it out with the scissors, peeled off the paper backing and placed it on the t-shirt where I wanted it.

I made sure I was wearing old clothes and shoes and moved the shirt outside where the bleach couldn't get on anything important.
However, I did not wear rubber gloves and my hands are paying the price.
Bleach is a VERY potent chemical and should be treated with respect. My hands have been cracking and bleeding since doing this craft with-out gloves. So don't do it!

Also, if you don't want the bleach to bleed through to the other side of the shirt put some plastic or an old towel between the front and back layers of the shirt.

Now comes the fun part!

With your spray bottle lightly squirt the bleach 4 or 5 times over your design.
And then wait a minute. The bleach won't look like it's doing anything for a minute but believe me it is.
Suddenly the bleached spots will show up.
Now you can decide if you want to bleach some more. If you do, spray a couple more times and then wait again.

Once you have the design the way you want it let it dry for a few minutes.
Then remove the vinyl, rinse in the sink in cold water and wash in the washing machine or dry in the dryer.

That's it!

This was a very easy, inexpensive and fun craft to do with the Young Women I work with.

And it really made me happy to see how excited they were about their creations!

Good luck and I'd love to hear if you decide to try it!!!