Category Archives: Co-op

Bleach Pen T-Shirt Art

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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!

    Homeschool Co-ops – Should You Participate in One?

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    In general, I’m not a big fan of Homeschool Coops. It sounds like such a good idea: fun classes and socialization for both the kids and mom. It seems especially good for teens. Especially one who needs a government or economics class. On top of all that, it seems like everyone is doing it!

    I went to registration day for three different coops, but in the end I left every one without having signed up. At the last one, I remember standing in a corner on the cell phone with my husband. “This just doesn’t seem right to me,” I told him. “I don’t feel good about it.”

    So, here’s why:

    1. The three coops I visited required mom’s to work 2 out of 3 hours in a class, and strongly suggested the 3rd hour be spent in the mom-room for socialization. That was one of the things I was looking forward to after all. The problem was, that when I put it on paper it occurred to me that I would be separated from each of my children for 2-3 hours.
    2. While I’m separated from each of my children for those hours, they are in classes with 20 other kids their general age. Frankly, I don’t want my child socializing with 20 kids their age without my being around. Sounds like school to me.
    3. In one instance, I found that the whole coop was scheduled to focus on US History, but we were studying World History at home. A “theme” sounded like a nice idea, but if the classes your child takes, do not supplement the course of study you are following, is it worth losing a day of school?
    4. I can’t go without mentioning that I don’t want to get up at 7:00 AM to go to coop once a week. I know, that sounds like a lame reason, but I had to mention it, because it occurred to me that after 13 weeks I might really feel like flaking.
    5. There are a lot of people who homeschool, with a lot of different beliefs, attitudes, and parenting styles. We do not have any kind of video game system in our house, but I found that was a common theme among the kids at coop. It seemed very worldly to me.
    6. Of course, I have heard of some wonderful classes coop classes. A friend of mine teaches one that I know is great, but you can’t go for just one class. It’s an all or nothing deal.

    In the end, it just seemed a little too much like “school” to me – kids sitting in desks, with their peers, teachers at the front teaching, and changing classes on the hour.

    That said, I LOVE our coop!

    I bet you didn’t see that coming. I can’t really recommend that you find a coop like the one we participate in, because I don’t know of any others like it, but I can recommend you start one yourself.

    • Our coop is made up of 8 families who all utilize a Charlotte Mason method of homeschooling, so we all share some foundational beliefs on educating our children as well as simply raising them.
    • We only meet for traditional coop once a month, and all mom’s and the 35 kids stay together for every lesson.
    • The subjects are things like hymn, artist study, folk song, drawing, handicraft, and recitation by various children. These are all part of a Charlotte Mason education, so it supplements all of our course of study.
    • The other 3 weeks of the month we use to take field trips to various places or to do a Nature Study together.

    There are ways to make it work; they just are not the standard. If you want a healthy coop that is a benefit, rather than a hindrance to your family, you might think about getting a group of like minded friends together and making a plan. You are welcome to visit my coop’s blog for some ideas or ask any questions you might have.