Bleached T-Shirts Inspiration - Sunflowers and Blue Jeans

Bleaching tees has been around for a while in the craft DIY world. It’s a fun and easy way to upcycle old clothes, and an alternative to tie-dye.

When combined with a little HTV or some stencils this DIY craft is taken up a notch or seven…

AND I LOVE IT!

Bleached Tees = FUNKY tees!

The first time I bleached a t-shirt was a few years ago when I was heavily into tie-dye. I was able to take a kids’ black t-shirt and create a very cool spiral pattern. Bleach on a black t-shirt results in orange and the contrast looks great!

Since this first attempt, the closest I’ve gotten to another bleach project has been Pinning them on Pinterest!

It was time to stop pinning and start doing!

Make it…BETTER!

My craft toolkit has expanded over the years. With my trusty Silhouette Curio and Heat Transfer Vinyl, I am able to take the bleached shirt and make it better!

We aren’t talking about simply throwing down some bleach and leaving it at that anymore. Now it’s HTV quotes, print transfers, stencils, and fabric paint.

Let’s take a look at some bleachy goodness!

The following four examples are my own creations…

This red/black check flannel has been a favourite of mine for a while and seemed an obvious choice for a makeover. Using the lid from the bleach bottle to ‘splash’ the liquid, I was able to create a concentrated space on the back of the shirt. When the desired colour was achieved, I rinsed the bleach out before washing and drying as normal.

The ‘Adventure Awaits’ design was purchased from https://www.creativefabrica.com/product/outdoors-super-bundle-designs/ref/311271/ , then cut from black HTV using the Curio before heat pressing on after the shirt was dry.

Made for a friend who loves her some leopard print, this shirt has become my favourite so far! For this one the bleach was applied using a spray bottle.

The skull image was purchased from an Etsy seller and printed using an inkjet printer onto Jet Opaque Transfer Sheets for Dark Fabric. Then cut using the Curio’s print’n’cut feature. The text was then cut from black HTV and both heat pressed onto the shirt once it had been washed and dried.

Another one using the spray bottle to apply the bleach as I really like the sprinkled effect outside the main section, however instead of heat pressing a design I wanted to use a stencil.

I’ve had a roll of freezer paper sitting here for a while as I’d read it’s great for stencilling. As it has a wax coating on one side, you can adhere it to the fabric using an iron and it will stay in place securely while you apply the paint. Then it simply pulls off when you’re done!

The design was painted using acrylic craft paints and a sponge.

This blue check flannel is my son’s and he requested a dinosaur. Of course I couldn’t say no! This one bleaches up really well and as you can see from the photo, it’s basically bleached the entire back panel. On the front I sprayed it lightly to get a very nice sprinkled effect.

Once the shirt was washed and dried, I purchased a dinosaur file bundle from Creative Fabrica. Then it was simply a case of cut and press to complete the shirt. You can check out the dinosaur files that I used HERE

Even more bleachy goodness…

Now you’ve seen a few of my efforts, let’s take a look at some more bleachey inspiration from other creatives…

Love One Another Charcoal – Southern Bliss Company — Southern Bliss Company

Bleached Tees Etsy DanasJumble — DanasJumble

DIY Bleached Flannel | Camel Fedora |Fashion Blogger — Moxie Fashion Blog

SUPER TRENDY adorable Ombre dyed jacket! Unique pattern gives this jacket a distinctive look! Upcycled with bleach technique on the bottom for an unusual pattern! Angel wings stencil in white with a bit of sparkle and a PEACE patch on the front completes this INSPIRATION jacket! 21 from shoulder to bottom Womens SMALL Cotton with a touch of spandex — BEXandEVE

Super soft unisex beaches dark gray tee with an ink design! These do fit true to size.Turn around time usually only takes 3-5 days sometimes a little longer depending on if I have the shirt in stock! If you have any questions please feel free to message me and ask! — Bespoke Tee Designs

Savage bleached shirt ~ Savage Bougie Ratchet ~ Graphic Tee — LTJ Design Company

Excited to share the latest addition to my #etsy shop: Mommy and Me distressed Sublimation Shirts, Moma and Daughter set, Kicking with my Mini Mommy, Matching girl outfits, Leopard Tees — 1CreativeGammy

Super cute bleached shirt with a sublimation image and leopard peak-a-boos — Simply Subli By Shelly

Black hand bleached do no harm take no bull. Bull skull graphic tee. Boho — Mavictoria’s Boutique

1. I cut my design of the tree outline on press &seal cling wrap! I put the sticky side down 2. I ironed the design on 275 for 10 seconds - & I put a piece of cloth over it so it didn’t melt! 3. Then I put newspaper in the shirt so it didn’t bleed through & just folded the sleeves back 4. I sprayed only the top w/ bleach in direct sunlight w/ a squirt bottle - I used the spray & squirt feature 5. I let it dry completely &cut out more stars &the words on rose gold iron on — AKS

Bleached tees are now very popular in the sublimation craft world as it allows designs to be printed onto darker coloured tees! No doubt there’ll be even more variations of this t-shirt design process as people experiment more.