Upcycle & amend: Bleach

You will need:

· Garment to upcycle

· Bleach

· scissors

· Container for the bleach

· Paint brush

· Tablecloth

· Bull dog clips

· Piece of cardboard

· Template (optional)

Step 1:

Place the piece of cardboard inside the garment (pictured has already been bleached on), between the back and font piece of fabric. This is to protect from the bleach leaking through onto the wrong side. Then, using your bulldog clips, clip the cardboard into place – ensuring the fabric is taught. Lay out your tablecloth and pour your bleach into the container.

Step 2:

Find an image of a design you want to re-create (I suggest using Pinterest). This is where you can tailor the process to your desired outcome:

1. Print the image and trace or draw it onto your garment (use pencil or tailors chalk as this will wash out)

2. Create a template with your image

3. Free hand paint the image

Then using the paintbrush, begin to add your design with the bleach. The bleach will strip the dye from the fabric and the colour of your design will differ, dependant on what colour your garment is originally. As my t shirt was black, the bleach turned the fabric a rusty orange colour.

Top tips: if you want to lighten the colour of the design, after your bleach has been applied and is dry, add vinegar or lemon juice over the top. Also, the bleach works well on blue denim, as the fabric goes white.

Step 3:

Let the bleach dry and then hand wash or machine wash the garment. This stops the bleach eating away at the fibres, so you don’t end up with holes or tears!

Step 4:

I decided I wanted my t shirt to be cropped, so using scissors and ensuring the t shirt was laid out completely flat, I cut to where I wanted it to sit.

Top tip: Be careful when cutting! If your garment is a woven fabric it will fray, if it is jersey knitted then it will curl. An easy way to tell if is woven is if it only really stretches on the diagonal, a jersey knit will be stretchy every direction. If the garment is woven it may need to be hemmed (folded and sewn) to give it a neat edge, that wont fray. But don’t worry, even though jeans are woven, they do not need hemming because the fraying can be a style detail.

Step 5:

Taa daa, wear your new piece!

Freya Fowler