DIY Bleach Tie-Dye Sweatshirt - Raising Teens Today

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This Post: DIY Bleach Tie-Dye Sweatshirt

Tie-dye monochrome sweatshirts are all the rage! Rather than purchase one at the store for $50 (or more), why not make your own for a fraction of the cost?

My daughter has been wanting a monochrome sweatshirt for a while, so we decided to try our hand at making them ourselves. We were blown away by how fun they are to make (honestly, they can become slightly addictive) and how different each one turned out depending on the color sweatshirt we chose and the technique we used.

They’re super easy and inexpensive to make (we made ours for $10 each) and they turn out just as awesome (and professional looking) as the ones in the stores.

Within the last couple of months, my daughter has made several sweatshirts (and t-shirts) and every single one turned out totally different. Plus, now that she’s mastered how to make them, she has given a few to friends as gifts and they flipped!

Here are step-by-step instructions to make your very own DIY Bleach Tie-Dye Sweatshirt.

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Supplies Needed:

• Plain Crewneck Sweatshirt (we bought these sweatshirts from Amazon in black, maroon and grey. They’re inexpensive and they worked perfectly! (You can use t-shirts, too!)
• Bleach (we used Clorox Bleach, but any bleach will work fine)
• 6-10 Rubberbands
• 16-ounce plastic squeeze condiment bottle

To get the monochromatic tie-dye sweatshirt look, (as opposed to the traditional rainbow tie-dye look) we used dark, earthy colored sweatshirts including black, maroon, grey, dark brown, navy, etc.

Directions to Make Tie-Dye Sweatshirt:

STEP 1:

Fill the 16-ounce plastic squeeze bottle with 3/4 bleach and 1/4 water. Holding your finger over the top of the bottle, gently shake to mix water and bleach.

Depending on the look you’re going for, you can use 1/2 bleach and 1/2 water or fill the bottle entirely with bleach. The amount of bleach you use will impact the look of the sweatshirt. (When my daughter and I bleached a different black sweatshirt, we filled the entire bottle with bleach and the sweatshirt turned out black with brown splotches – it was super cool! )

* When working with bleach, adult supervision is suggested. Also, it’s best to use gloves to avoid getting bleach on your skin.

STEP 2:

Lay the sweatshirt out on a flat surface. Using your fingers, slowly scrunch the sweatshirt together pulling the edges of the sweatshirt toward the center.

How you scrunch the sweatshirt will determine the placement of the bleach and, in turn, the end result of the sweatshirt. Feel free to experiment to find the pattern you like best! (My daughter also swirled a few shirts (like a cinnamon bun) and they turned out great, too!)

STEP 3:

Secure the scrunched sweatshirt in place by wrapping rubber bands in random places around the sweatshirt.

(We used approximately 6 rubber bands.)

Step 4:

Take the sweatshirt outside in the grass (not on concrete) and, using the squirt bottle filled with bleach and water, generously squirt bleach in random spots on the sweatshirt. Be sure to bleach both sides of the sweatshirt. Wait 10-15 minutes. (If you didn’t wear gloves, wash hands well to remove any bleach.)

After 10-15 minutes, remove rubber bands and lay the sweatshirt out flat to determine if there are any areas you feel should be bleached more. This is all based on your preference! If you feel some areas need more bleach, feel free to give those areas a few more squirts of bleach.

Remember, the sweatshirt will turn out completely different depending on how much and where you apply the bleach.

Let dry for 15-20 minutes.

Step 5:

After 15-20 minutes, place the sweatshirt in the washing machine (alone) and wash with detergent in cold water. Dry in the dryer on low heat (or if you’re worried the sweatshirt might shrink, dry for 10 minutes to remove excess moisture and hang to dry).

Step 6:

Enjoy wearing your new monochrome tie-dye sweatshirt!

FRONT and BACK VIEW:

The awesome part about these sweatshirts is that each one is a work of art! No two will ever be the same depending on the color sweatshirt you choose, how you scrunch it, where you place the rubber bands, and how much (and where) you place the bleach. Plus, they’re super cheap to make and they make awesome gifts for friends!

(This sweatshirt is just like the Urban Outfitters Monochrome Tie-Dye Sweatshirts that sell for $59!)

Looking for other do-it-yourself projects? Check these out!

36 DIY Frugal Teen Room Decor Ideas for Girls

22 Adorable DIY Holiday Gifts

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