How To: Distress & Bleach T-Shirts - DIY Tutorial

So, you want that brand new t-shirt to have a more worn, vintage look. Well there is a way you can achieve that. It’s called distressing and I show you how in this video.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Sanding block or a piece of sandpaper
Cutting board
Scissors
T-shirts From shirtspace
Tweezer
Pumice stone
Razor
Cheese grater
Chalk
Bleach
Spray bottle
Dropper
Toothbrush

Ok, you won’t need every item on that list. Think of it more as a list of items you could possibly use to distress your tee. Once you have some or all of these items let's get to work.

First, choose your T-Shirt wisely.

The thicker the shirt, the harder it’s going to be to get a distressed look. Go for high-quality thinner cotton or blends mixed with polyester because you’ll be able to tear through or fray the fabric easier.

My recommendations are :
N6210 - Next Level / 60% combed ringspun cotton/40% polyester jersey/ 4.3 oz. shirtspace.com/next-level/t-shirts/5086-next-le…
3001CVC - Bella Canvas/ 4.2 oz., 52% airlume combed and ringspun cotton, 48% polyester shirtspace.com/bella-canvas/t-shirts/8496-bella…
3413C - Bella Canvas /50% polyester, 25% combed and ringspun cotton, 25% rayon / 3.8 oz
shirtspace.com/bella-canvas/t-shirts/8847-bella…

Next, don’t stress, just distress

Lay your t-shirt flat on a table or a large cutting board.
Begin by fraying the edges with your pumice stone or sandpaper..
Work at the edges first. Then working your way inward.
Work in patches or move in strokes up and down the length of the body, toward the shoulders. You want it to look natural, so make some areas are more faded and worn than others.

Now use your chalk to create a soft faded film Use the flat side of the chalk like charcoal.
Then smudge it further with your fingers.

Another technique would be to cut and rip where you want.

Create small rips and tears in the fabric by cutting small holes. Emphasis on SMALL
They get larger over time, so start small.

Use your tweezers to pull out a few stray threads or to make the small hole larger.
You can also use your cheese grater and a razor for the same affect.
Great places to do this are the edges of the collar, base of the tee and the hems of the sleeves.
Think of areas you know would get distressed over time and wear.

How about we bleach it?

Let’s create a deliberate accident for a great worn look. Grab your spray bottle
Poor in a bit of bleach, you don't need much, then dilute it a bit with water.
Spray mixture on shoulders, waist and sides. Make sure you also don't forget the back.
You can also use a dropper for more of a direct hit. Just be careful of all your other clothing and surrounding areas when you do this. Bleach is bleach after all.

So our final move in distressing your shirt, add some color and wash.

Using some fabric paint, you can dip your toothbrush and create some light sprays of paint over the t-shirt.

Next, wash your newly distressed t-shirt separately in cold water and hang to dry.

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