BLEACH is the secret ingredient for these cute T-shirts

STORY AND PHOTOS

BY MARY RASCH

Iremember being at a music festival as a teenager and complimenting a friend on the T-shirt she was wearing. I was entirely shocked when she said she had made it herself! Using a bleach-soaked Q-tip she drew an Eiffel Tower on the front. It was adorable! Fast-forwarding more years than I want to admit, I have finally taken this project off of my “I’ve got to try that” list. Here is my twist to her idea and my results.

We have a rabbit, hedgehogs and a dog so we decided to make petthemed shirts as we are super-fans of our furry (and spikey) friends. My shirt has a hedgehog on it with “hedgie life” on the back and my daughter’s has a rabbit on the front. I have yet to find a yorkie stencil but when I do … This project can be done for your kiddos or by a trusted teen, but I’m sure you won’t want to hand a spray bottle of bleach over to your little one. So give your child the day off on this project, or at least authorize

LSYC’s Summer Sing Camps

Available to grades 2-5 | Monday - Thursday, 9:00am - 4:00pm

Registration: $150 | First Lutheran Church

July 29 - August 1, 2019 August 12 - 15, 2019 www.lsyouthchorus.org/summersing a few minutes of Netflix until the shirts are dry. For ventilation and overspray an outdoor location is the best working area.

Summer Sing participants receive an LSYC water bottle, t-shirt, and drawstring tote bag. Lunch and snacks provided daily.

MATERIALS:

• Solid Color T-shirt

• Cutting Board (or Cardboard)

• Stencil

• Spray Adhesive

• Spray Bottle

• ¼ Measuring Cup

• Liquid Bleach

• Washing Machine

DIRECTIONS:

Make sure your shirt is wrinkle free and flat on your working surface.

Place a cutting board inside the shirt to protect the back from the bleach that could soak through.

After spraying your stencil with adhesive, according to the product’s directions, place it carefully in the desired location. Pour ¼ cup of bleach in a spray bottle and lightly spray once over the stencil. Wait to see how the bleach works on the fabric.

Not much is needed. However, if more contrast is desired, lightly spray once again. Let the t-shirt dry then remove the stencil and cutting board or cardboard. Wash your shirt the first time alone but after that you can wash as normal.

Spin-off Ideas

Try using doilies or lace as a stencil on the shirt with to create a beautiful design. Create silhouettes of your favorite characters against the night sky. Create a skyline across the bottom or chest of the shirt.

Need personalized T-shirts for a family gathering or sports team? Cut out adhesive vinyl lettering or cardstock with spray adhesive for each person’s name. You can have everyone in your party identified and easily found if you pick a uniform color.

Learn from my mistakes

Stay away from drawing on your T-shirt with a gel bleach pen — my fun trendy arrows turned into long blobs due to the bleeding of the liquid in the gel.

Too much spray will soak the shirt, and you will lose the stenciled design.

If it’s windy outside, your shirt will fold over on itself, and bleach will be everywhere.

Wind can also cause your bleach spray to fly right back at you, bleaching the shirt you are wearing instead of the one that you are stenciling.

Wear gloves when spraying the adhesive, unless you like the feeling of gooey fingers. —

MDT

Mary Rasch is a Duluth artist and mother of two. Her book, "Fleece Hat Friends and Playful Hoodies," is available on Amazon.