Dango, that's a foxy shirt.
So someone asked me for a tutorial, and I was all bored so here you go. Sorry, I wish there were more process pictures as well.
I had seen bleach stenciling/painting before and this was my first attempt at it. And now, this is my how-to.
INGREDIENTS:
T-shirt/tank top
picture/design
paper
wax paper
paper towels
exacto knife
tape
cardboard
bleach
spray bottle
detergent
scrap fabric or a thin towel
Find your design, make sure it'll be something easy to turn into a stencil. I used...
resize the picture to the size you want, mine was about the size of a piece of notebook paper.
I myself am very lazy, and lack a printer so when I need picture of the computer for stenciling I do whatever I need to to get it to a the point I want it and then I put a piece of paper over my laptop screen and trace it right off the screeen. Easy peasy....
Now you've got your picture, grab a piece of wax paper. Most people tell you to use freezer paper, and when I did this I didn't have any (still don't) I figured this would work just as well, it didn't but I like the outcome better anyway.
Find some kind of surface that you don't mind fucking up with an exacto knife. I used one of those healing cutting boards they sell at craft stores for the rotary cutters, mostly used by quilters. Tape down your picture and then tape down your wax paper right on top of it, you'll be able to see through it so no worries.
Get to cutting out your design out of the wax paper with an exacto knife. Which takes for freakin' ever. I cut out all the black parts. It all really depends on your stencil on which parts you cut out. Just be careful its a stencil so if you have parts that are just gonnna fall out you're gonna want to make some alterations to your picture so that it works out, think of stenciled letters. This design worked out the best for me being that I didn't run into to many problem with holes and stuff. You're probably better looking up a stencil making tutorial than listening to me...I just kinda wing it most of the time.
Once you've got your stencil all cut out. Grab your shirt and a piece of cardboard, Put the carboard inside your shirt, It's a little sad coz the cardboard gets to wear your fancy shirt before you do. Lay it out and make sure there aren't any folds or creases or little bumps in place you're putting your stencil. Lay your stencil out (with the waxy side down) get all the placement and stuff figured out.
Grab your iron (I don't really know how important this part is cause it isn't really effective, only kinda) You're gonna want to use something in between the iron and your shirt/stencil. Helps with that great burning smell. Iron your stencil down. It takes a while and seems kinda pointless cause your edges won't exactly stick that well. And once its ironed you can't really mess with it too much or the whole thing will come off. You can re-iron it, but it doesn't really stick that well the second time.
Grab some paper towels, bleach (or clorox), spray bottle.
Woot bleach spraying time ( noooo you gotta drink the bleach) I didn't really have bleach, BUT I did have clorox clean-up with bleach, I tested it on something and it bleached it and I figured it smelled enough like bleach...it'll be fine. It just works slower than bleach. And you
have to use more of it. On the bright side, atleast you know that spot will be clean.
Spray the bleach on and watch it go...I sprayed the whole thing and as I was watching it, if it didn't look like it was working in some spots I just sprayed some more. Use the paper towels to wipe off any extra bleach from the wax paper, I just dabbed at the whole thing since the clorox leaves bubbles. The whole process took probably about 10 minutes. I'm pretty sure that because I used the clorox instead of straight bleach it ended up bleeding through a little bit. It has more time to soak through before it has any effect. Everything else I read using bleach said it takes like 2 minutes or something like that. Or you can dilude your bleach with water and put it at around 5 minutes.
When you hit your desired color run over to the sink and start rinsing it out. Its super important to wash it out really good. Bleach (and clorox) will break apart your fibers and eat through your fabric. Rinse in cold water, and then rinse it again, and add some detergent in there and handwash it and rinse it again. And WA BAAAAM hang it up to dry. wooohooo...done-like good-ness.
Enjoy.
I'm pretty sure I've missed something, allz ya gots to do is ask. And I'll be less confusing. promise.
I had seen bleach stenciling/painting before and this was my first attempt at it. And now, this is my how-to.
INGREDIENTS:
T-shirt/tank top
picture/design
paper
wax paper
paper towels
exacto knife
tape
cardboard
bleach
spray bottle
detergent
scrap fabric or a thin towel
Find your design, make sure it'll be something easy to turn into a stencil. I used...
resize the picture to the size you want, mine was about the size of a piece of notebook paper.
I myself am very lazy, and lack a printer so when I need picture of the computer for stenciling I do whatever I need to to get it to a the point I want it and then I put a piece of paper over my laptop screen and trace it right off the screeen. Easy peasy....
Now you've got your picture, grab a piece of wax paper. Most people tell you to use freezer paper, and when I did this I didn't have any (still don't) I figured this would work just as well, it didn't but I like the outcome better anyway.
Find some kind of surface that you don't mind fucking up with an exacto knife. I used one of those healing cutting boards they sell at craft stores for the rotary cutters, mostly used by quilters. Tape down your picture and then tape down your wax paper right on top of it, you'll be able to see through it so no worries.
Get to cutting out your design out of the wax paper with an exacto knife. Which takes for freakin' ever. I cut out all the black parts. It all really depends on your stencil on which parts you cut out. Just be careful its a stencil so if you have parts that are just gonnna fall out you're gonna want to make some alterations to your picture so that it works out, think of stenciled letters. This design worked out the best for me being that I didn't run into to many problem with holes and stuff. You're probably better looking up a stencil making tutorial than listening to me...I just kinda wing it most of the time.
Once you've got your stencil all cut out. Grab your shirt and a piece of cardboard, Put the carboard inside your shirt, It's a little sad coz the cardboard gets to wear your fancy shirt before you do. Lay it out and make sure there aren't any folds or creases or little bumps in place you're putting your stencil. Lay your stencil out (with the waxy side down) get all the placement and stuff figured out.
Grab your iron (I don't really know how important this part is cause it isn't really effective, only kinda) You're gonna want to use something in between the iron and your shirt/stencil. Helps with that great burning smell. Iron your stencil down. It takes a while and seems kinda pointless cause your edges won't exactly stick that well. And once its ironed you can't really mess with it too much or the whole thing will come off. You can re-iron it, but it doesn't really stick that well the second time.
Grab some paper towels, bleach (or clorox), spray bottle.
Woot bleach spraying time ( noooo you gotta drink the bleach) I didn't really have bleach, BUT I did have clorox clean-up with bleach, I tested it on something and it bleached it and I figured it smelled enough like bleach...it'll be fine. It just works slower than bleach. And you
have to use more of it. On the bright side, atleast you know that spot will be clean.
Spray the bleach on and watch it go...I sprayed the whole thing and as I was watching it, if it didn't look like it was working in some spots I just sprayed some more. Use the paper towels to wipe off any extra bleach from the wax paper, I just dabbed at the whole thing since the clorox leaves bubbles. The whole process took probably about 10 minutes. I'm pretty sure that because I used the clorox instead of straight bleach it ended up bleeding through a little bit. It has more time to soak through before it has any effect. Everything else I read using bleach said it takes like 2 minutes or something like that. Or you can dilude your bleach with water and put it at around 5 minutes.
When you hit your desired color run over to the sink and start rinsing it out. Its super important to wash it out really good. Bleach (and clorox) will break apart your fibers and eat through your fabric. Rinse in cold water, and then rinse it again, and add some detergent in there and handwash it and rinse it again. And WA BAAAAM hang it up to dry. wooohooo...done-like good-ness.
Enjoy.
I'm pretty sure I've missed something, allz ya gots to do is ask. And I'll be less confusing. promise.