Tangled Thread - Tips, Trick and Tutorials in Sewing & Stitching

how-to of the day: using bleach to print fabric

by Chloe on March 12th, 2008

As, promised - here’s the slightly-overdue tutorial :-)

Did you know that you can use those bleach gel pens to print on fabric?  That’s right, I’m abusing fabric again!  Depending on the fabric you can get anything from dramatic white lines to soft, hazy marks on the fabric.

You’ll need fabric (cotton is the safest to start with, bleach will destroy certain man-made fibers), a bleach gel pen (in the laundry aisle of your grocery store) and a bleach-neutralizing chemical.  You can get expensive ones from dyeing & fiber art supply companies - but I’ll let you in on a secret…  Tap water conditioner for fish does the same thing, for a quarter of the price!  Just make sure to buy a bottle that removes chlorine.

Before you get started, you’ll need to protect your work surface.  I’m working on a plastic covered surface.  Just remember that bleach is a toxic chemical, so take the appropriate precautions!  Use gloves, work in a well-ventilated area and protect your eyes.  Remember, you’re following these instructions at your own risk - I’m not responsible for any consequences.  Okay, I’ll take responsibility if you end up with really cool fabric :-)

Follow the directions on the pen and start drawing!  Each fabric will respond directly - in fact, look at what the green fabric has done in just a couple of minutes of sitting with the bleach:

When you’re happy with how the fabric looks, add it to a bucket of water with the bleach remover already added.  Let it soak for half an hour or so and then wash normally.

I’ll show you how the samples turned out tomorrow :-)

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