Every year we have one co-op handicraft that is just plain crafty. This year I chose bleach pen t-shirts. I had seen some neat ones, but then during Christmas break we tried it out with less than what I would call success. Of all the instruction I found of the internet, none really pulled it all together. But alas, all the tidbits gleaned here and there, did indeed come together and we found success.

Bleach pens are expensive, and when we do a thing, we kind of like to go big. For that reason we definitely wanted to make our own.  Here is what worked well:

Cascade Dishwasher Detergent with BLEACH.
We tried various make-it-yourself bleach gel solutions, but I was never happy with the consistency. In addition, the bleach broke down the cornstarch in the mixture within a short time, making the solution watery.

Empty Elmer’s Glue Bottles.
The glue bottles are cheap, even brand new and full of glue! Plus they have the perfect size opening to let the bleach solution out just a little at a time. I emptied out the glue into a baggie, so as not to waste it, rinsed it out, and filled it with the dishwasher detergent.

Vinegar
We started out with it in a spray bottle full of vinegar, but in the end we just dumped about half a gallon of vinegar in a bucket.

Do’s and Don’t Do’s

• You can recycle something you already have, but if you choose something new, there is no need to wash it. 
  
• Be creative. You don’t have to stick to shirts.  You can do a bleach design on your jeans, or leggings, or a hat, or whatever you want.
• However, you should choose something that is 100% cotton. Sometimes other blends will work, but you won’t know until you’ve spent time making your fabulous creation, washed it and found…nothing. Ask me how I know this. ;
• Don’t get the bleach solution on your hands. It’s bad stuff! Maybe wear gloves.
• Think about doing this outside – for the fresh air, and also because the UV rays help the bleach do it’s thing.
• Think about wearing something that you don’t love while doing this project. Think play-clothes. Just in case.

Steps to a successful project:

1. Place a piece of wax paper inside your shirt. Or you can use a cookie sheet, or paper bag or whatever. Just make sure the bleach solution can’t soak through.
   
2. Use a piece of chalk to sketch your design. Search “bleach pen t-shirts” on google and you’ll find a lot of ideas.
3. Start bleaching. You might want to test the flow out on a paper towel. Don’t drag the tip across the shirt, but rather float a bit.
4. Leave the shirt for 15-30 minutes. Different materials take a different amount of time to bleach out. For instance, black changes to a rust color first, and then goes to white. Use your creative license. 
5. Wash the shirt in the sink. If you have a sprayer it works well. Otherwise, wear gloves and scrub the bleach away.
6. Spray it with vinegar or dunk it in a bucket of vinegar to halt the bleaching process.  Without this step the bleach will continue doing it’s bleachy thing until you have holes in your garment – even though you wash it.
7. Wash your shirts in the washing machine.
8. Wear it proudly!