"Bleached Out Tees" from DesignMom.Gabby's kids always make their own gifts for each other--a tradition in itself that I love. But, this particular gift seems fun and easy for kids to make, but still has a designer sense to it.
- "Start by gathering your materials. You’ll need a 100% cotton t-shirt in a bright or dark color (you can use a pastel, but the contrast from the bleach won’t be as intense), bleach, rags and something to block the bleach. We used vinyl cutouts and duct tape as blockers.
- Spread out the t-shirt, then put a layer of rags or an old towel between the front and back — so the bleach doesn’t bleed through to the back of the shirt.
- Apply the design you want on your t-shirt. For most of our designs, we used sticky-back vinyl that was cut into shapes and letters using a Silhouette machine. If you don’t have a Silhouette machine, you could still buy a sheet or roll of sticky-back vinyl and cut out the shapes you want by hand.
- Next, pour some bleach into a container and dip an old rag into the bleach. Press the rag on to and around the vinyl or tape. When the shirt is as bleached as you’d like it to be, life the front of the shirt, slip out the rags and immediately rinse the shirt in water to stop the bleaching process.
- Dry the shirt in the dryer and you’re ready to wrap it up. Yay!"
