Hot Glue + Bleach = Super Cute Wearables!!
Something about t-shirt projects remind me of spring. I guess that’s because I live in New England, and most of us break out the short sleeves starting in March – wearing a hoodie or sweater over it most of the time. (New England weather is cray!)
This project is really fun and doesn’t require a crazy amount of skill. The result is a pretty batik-style design that is very forgiving to the not-so-crafty-crafter. 😉
So, let’s usher in spring with this adorable, wearable project! Grab your AdTech glue gun and read on…
Supplies you will need:
- AdTech Pro 80 Glue Gun —> Get a 20% off Amazon coupon while supplies last! Click here!
- Full-size AdTech Multi-Temp hot glue sticks —> Click here to buy on Amazon!
- Parchment (baking) paper or a large silicone mat
- A colored cotton t-shirt (I used a kid-sized.)
- Bleach
- A spray bottle
- An old toothbrush (optional)
Step one: Warm up your glue gun
Load your glue gun with a glue stick and let it warm up. I highly recommend you do this project with a high-quality, full-size glue gun because this project uses a good amount of hot glue, and you want good flow when laying your glue lines. The AdTech Pro 80 warms up really quick and puts out a lot of glue quickly and easily, AND it comes with 3 interchangeable applicator tips! (I love this glue gun! It’s my personal fave.)
Step two: Create your hot glue stencil
Lay down a large sheet of parchment paper. You can freehand your design, or place a drawing or printout of a design under the parchment and trace it with the hot glue. Squeeze the trigger and lay down your glue. Just have fun with this! Be silly. Be sloppy. Be perfect. Whatever! Then, let it cure for a few minutes and peel your hot glue stencil off the paper. Don’t worry about little glue strings that you might see. They don’t really matter in this project.
Step three: Prep the shirt
Lay your t-shirt out and place some cardboard inside to protect the back of the shirt. Place your new glue stencil onto your shirt and press it down flat with your hands.
Step four: Apply the bleach
Wear your eye protection (safety first!) and pour some bleach into your spray bottle. Lightly spray a fine mist over your design… 2-3 pumps. Let the bleach do it’s work for at least 15 minutes before you decide to spray again. If you’d like more of a blotchy look with bigger drops, you can dip an old toothbrush into bleach, and splatter the bleach onto the shirt by bending the bristles with your thumb and letting go.
Step five: Wash the shirt
Once you get the shirt lightened to your satisfaction, remove the stencil. (You can reuse it!) You can then launder the shirt, but either wash it alone or rinse it well before laundering with other clothes so you don’t get remaining bleach on anything.
So pretty, right? I made flowers, but feel free to make any shape you want. Try it on jeans, pillows, sheets, towels…. any fabric that will fade with bleach. I hope you enjoyed this project!
Love what you created? We will, too! Tag us in your image on Instagram, @adtech. Use the hashtags #glueasamedium and #thisishotglue so others can see your creation!
