Bleach is used for all kinds of things, not least for cleaning and brightening dirty clothes. The disadvantage that sometimes comes into play is that too much bleach can ruin a perfectly good dark shirt by making it too light. But if you can control the bleaching process and lighten only certain parts
of it, an artistic effect can be achieved.
What you’ll need You’ll need a shirt that’s a 50/50 polyester and cotton blend, bleach, water and a small spray bottle. Some use a 50/50 bleach/water mix, but undiluted bleach can also be used. To make the template, you’ll need an X-ACTO knife and thin, clear plastic material (0.1mm-thick Dura-Lar works well). You’ll also need tape and spray adhesive.
Prepare the stencil
Take your plastic and cut a pattern or picture using the X-ACTO knife. If the plastic is clear, an outline of a picture from a newspaper, or possibly your favourite monthly magazine, can be used as a template for your shape. Tape the plastic over your design before cutting so it doesn’t slide, then trace the edges you’ve selected with the knife.
Bleach it
Lay the shirt flat and insert a piece of plastic behind the area that you’d like to bleach a pattern into. Spray the adhesive on to your template, then press it firmly on to the shirt. Once the template is secure, spray a mist of bleach inside it. Cover the outside of the template with more plastic, or just try not to get too much bleach outside it.
Dry it off Let your shirt air dry for around 15 minutes, then rinse it by itself to dilute everything. Dry your shirt either on a line or in the dryer, then try it on. Depending on the mixture of bleach you used and the original colour of the shirt, the bleached area will be lighter, although not necessarily white.
The colour may fade more when washed.
Go further Using a thin piece of plastic is maybe the most obvious way to make a template. However, you could use any number of objects (bike gears, for example) by themselves. For a more exact template, if you have access to more “exotic” tools, one could be made with a 3D printer, laser cutter or any number of other machines.
