Logo Bleach T-Shirt

For the 3 Christmases my husband and I have celebrated together I tried to include at least one homemade present. This past Christmas I wanted to get him something with one of his favorite band's logos on it but the t-shirts I found online were too dang expensive for our budget. So there was my handmade present idea! The whole thing cost about $8 to make. If you want to do the inverse of the logo check out Jaime's Bleach T-Shirt tutorial.

What you'll need:
Colored T-Shirt
Bleach pen
Pins
Chalk or chalk pencil
Traceable pattern (I did mine on computer paper)

First, I cut out the lettering of my pattern. I then pinned the pattern onto the shirt. I put a piece of cardboard in the shirt so the bleach wouldn't go through. This also made pinning the pattern onto the shirt easier since the pins could go straight into the cardboard to really hold everything in place.

Next, trace the pattern onto the fabric with chalk.

Now you're ready for the bleach pen! I just used a basic Clorox bleach pen that had 2 sized tips. I used the narrower tip so the outline wouldn't be too thick. I found this at Wal-Mart for a couple of dollars in the bleach aisle. Something I wish I would've known was to watch out for sputters and bubbles when the bleach came out. Don't squeeze it out too hard either. Oh well, makes it look more rustic, right?

This only needs to set for a short time. I let the bleach sit on the shirt for maybe 3 minutes then quickly threw it in the wash. As the washer filled up with water, I ran the bleached part under the water to wash off the excess bleach and to ensure no bleach would get anywhere else (which it did because I wasn't as careful as I should've been. You can see this on the right side of the shirt.) Dry the shirt and now it's ready to go!

Pair with a cute baby onesie with a matching logo (it was an iron on patch!) and you'll have the coolest dad and baby outfits!

Christmas Gift Show Off: What I Gave Handmade

This Christmas I decided to make as many gifts as possible. I made gifts for the women in my family which ended up being quite a few! Some people haven’t gotten to open theirs yet so I can’t share them, but here are a few things I can share:

The jewelry making bug has bitten me again. I made these earrings as well as a few other pairs (5?) with other beads. I used a tutorial from here a blog I found on Stumble Upon. By the way, let’s be Stumble Friends! JustJaimeWGC

I made a tank for my sister in law who loves her half marathons (thus the joke). I used the same method as before. This time I did it in my hotel which was a little crazy BUT I think it was pretty cool!

I made this necklace for Brooke. I loved it A LOT and wanted to keep it. Sadly, I had to give away ;) Beneath that is an infinity scarf I also made for Brooke.

I had to model it of course. I really apologize for these pictures. I have a nice DSLR camera, and yet I took all of these with my phone?!

The handmade gifts were so fun. I really tried hard to figure out things that were my family’s style. I learned so much in making these gifts. I’m so excited for next Christmas =)

Bleached T-Shirt

So a few weeks ago my husband asked me if I'd like to get season football tickets for the local university (where he is getting a graduate degree). I said "Sure" and my mind started to work. How could I personalize a t-shirt to say MBA Wife? Because, hey, I'm earning it too, right?

After a trip to the local thrift store--shout out to Savers--I picked up several t-shirts for cheap. Then I found a way to personalize them: Spray Bottle Bleaching! It took no time! I'm going to share with you the test shirt I made to make sure it worked.

Materials:

Bleach

Water

Shirt

Freezer paper

Cardboard 

Plastic bag (optional)

Painter's tape (optional)

Tools:

Scissors

Iron

Spray Bottle

Here's how to do it my wayward way:

Pick out a design you want. I made one on my computer in word: Wayward Girls' Crafts of course! I chose a font and then made the letters outlined. Next, print out the letters on freezer paper. To do this, tape freezer paper on to regular paper so it will slide through the printer. You want to print on the papery side, NOT the waxy side. Then cut it out!

Next arrange your letters on your shirt. With a warm iron, iron those letters on. Make sure the letters are secure and aren't coming up on the sides. If they are, just iron 'em again!

So next grab some cardboard and stick it inside your shirt so the bleach mixture won't seep through and get to the other side of your shirt. 

I wanted to have a box/rectangle around the WGC so I did this next step. You don't have to. Take a plastic bag and cut a rectangle (or any shape) on one side. Put your shirt inside the bag. Make sure your letters fit in the rectangle.

Then use the painter's tape around the edge to seal it.

The bag is going to act as a shield from the bleach. You want to make sure it's covering all the fabric, except what will be bleached.

Next it's time to make your bleach mixture. I roughly, waywardly, tried about 2/3 bleach to 1/3 water. I've read some people used undiluted, and some used other mixtures. I just eyeballed it, roughly.

Next, take the whole operation outside, or a well ventilated area that you won't bleach anything (like a bathroom?). It's best if it's not windy out. Make sure your nozzle is on misting and not squirt (like a straight shot). I did a few test runs on on the cement and figured it out.

You don't want to directly spray it. Just mist over it so it lands there. At least if you want the look I with with.

 You can see I made sure it was good and misted. 

Peel off the letters, tape and plastic bag. It isn't going to be a super big difference, it's rather subtle at first.

This is how it looks after getting washed and dried. My husband was impressed. Time to take it to the next level and make my MBA Wife shirt =)

Any questions?