Bleach T-Shirts

Alternate Title: We Run This City

For our marathon relay team (another blog about that coming soon, I promise!) we wanted matching shirts that were motivational, pretty, & maybe even a little bad-ass.  We went with a spray bleach stencil & it turned out rocking so I'd like to share the process with you.

Bleach Sprayed T-Shirts in 3 Easy Steps:

Step 1: Prep

Use a water-proof stencil or make your own like I did. (I used a plastic report-sleeve, you can use cardboard or freezer paper, don't get too fancy) Prep the shirt to make sure bleach only goes where you want it to. That means a piece of cardboard between layers & around the edges of the stencil to block excess spray. Optional: You can use a little spray adhesive on the back of your stencil to keep small details in place

Step 2: Spray

Some people use straight bleach. I used a 2/3 bleach, 1/3 water mix because I was scared it would burn through too quickly. Looking back I think just bleach would have been fine. Lightly spritz from a distance. You only want a light mist, too much will bleed & spread leaving you with a blob.

Step 3: Wash

You'll be able to tell when the color is ready, just wait until you like it. Don't wait for it to be white or you might burn through. Just rinse it in some water & you're good to go! All dyes are made from different combination, so 2 green shirts won't necessarily fade to the same color. It's a fun discovery to see the different colors come out!