How to Bleach Stripe a Shirt

Use bleach to add stripes to a boring t-shirt.

T-shirts are a great wardrobe staple because they are comfortable and casual. Plain t-shirts do tend to get boring after a while though, especially once they start to fade and get old. Using regular laundry bleach and a few other household items, you can add stripes to one of your old, boring t-shirts. Stripes never seem to go out of style and this look definitely has a rocker-chic edge to it that would be great paired with a pair of jeans and a leather jacket.

Things You'll Need

• T-shirt (in a dark color)
• Newspaper
• Duct tape
• Spray bottle
• Bleach
• Water

Instructions

1. Fill the spray bottle with a mixture of approximately 2/3 bleach and 1/3 water. The water will dilute the bleach so that it doesn't burn right through the fabric of the shirt.

2. Lay newspaper on a hard, flat surface. This will protect your work area from the bleach.

3. Lay the t-shirt right-side up on the newspaper. Lay it as flat as possible, making sure there are no wrinkles or folds in it. You may want to iron it beforehand if necessary.

4. Attach strands of tape across the length of the shirt, mapping out the stripe pattern. Lay the tape either vertically or horizontally, depending on how you want the stripes. Place the strands of tape closer together for thinner stripes and further apart for thicker stripes.

5. Spray the t-shirt with the bleach mixture. The amount of bleach you will need to spray depends on how intense you want the stripes to be. As the shirt begins to dry, you will see the stripes starting to form. Let the shirt completely dry before removing the tape.

6. Wash your shirt in a washing machine and then dry it before wearing. Make sure to not skip this step as any bleach remaining on the shirt when you put it on can burn your skin.

Tips & Warnings

• Put some of the bleach mixture in an eyedropper and squeeze it along the shirt, without using tape, if you want to make thinner, more organic looking stripes.

• This project requires bleach and therefore should be done with caution. Bleach can cause burns to the skin and is harmful if ingested.

References

• Go Media Zine: DIY Striped T-Shirt in 3 Easy Steps
• N.E.E.T Magazine: Bleach Striped Shirt