This time of year makes me crave all the warm and cozy things. One of the first things I think of when it comes to warm and cozy is flannel! Today I’m bleaching flannel shirts to give them an antique look and I’m going to show you how I do it.
Bleached flannel shirts are really popular these days. You’ll find them at almost every antique show and many boutiques. My girlfriends and I had already bought several when it dawned on me that I could figure out how to make them myself. Many of you have been asking how I do this so today I’m bleaching flannel shirts and taking you along for the ride.
Bleaching Flannel Shirts
The first thing to know about bleaching flannel shirts is that there is no right or wrong way to do it. The method you use depends on the look you are going for. You can drizzle or spray your bleach water on the shirt or you can dunk the shirt in the bleach water. The shirts can be made as subtle or distressed as you like. You can even use rubber bands to give your shirt a tie dye look. Just remember that the longer you allow the bleach to sit on the shirt the more fading you will get.
Selecting your flannel shirts…
Choosing your shirts is the only tricky part about this project. The reason it’s tricky is that there is no rhyme or reason to which shirts will take the bleach and which ones won’t. I’ve tried all fabric blends and one polyester cotton blend will work perfectly and the next won’t react at all. The only thing that I can figure is that some shirts are treated with something that prevents bleaching. The problem is that you can’t tell that by the label.
Another thing to keep in mind is that some flannel shirts will start to fade right away and others will take more time. The best thing to do is to start with small amounts of bleach water and see how your particular shirt will react before really going to town with it.
You can find flannel shirts almost anywhere. I like to keep an eye out for great sales. Think end of season when the summer clothes are starting to hit the racks. You can usually snag flannel then at clearance prices. I also love going to Goodwill and other resale shops and finding my flannel there. When I sell my distressed shirts buying them second hand really helps to keep the price down for everyone involved.
Supply List
- Flannel shirts
- Large bowl (punch bowl size)
- Large bucket
- Bleach
- Vinegar
- Water
- Rubber bands (optional)
Step by Step Instructions
- Start by mixing equal parts bleach and water. For a large spray bottle I use 2 cups of each. For the large bowl I use 4 cups of each.
- In a large bucket combine equal parts vinegar and water.
- If you are dunking the shirt for an ombre look, place the bottom portion in the large bowl and allow it to sit for a few minutes. Next, submerge a little more of the bottom of the shirt. Doing this will fade the very bottom more and the fading will decrease as it gets further up the shirt.
- You can also use the spray bottle to spray bleach onto portions of the shirt or use the bottom of the nozzle piece to drizzle the bleach on.
- Once your bleach is applied allow it to sit for a few minutes. Just keep an eye on it because some shirts will fade quickly while others take longer. When the shirt is faded to your liking, submerge it in the vinegar mix to stop the bleach from working. Allow the shirt to soak in the vinegar mix for 2 minutes. (*If you dunked your shirt be sure to wring out the excess bleach water first. I also rinse the ones I’ve dunked before putting them into the vinegar mix.)
- Take the shirt out of the vinegar mix and wring it out. Finally, wash and dry the shirt like normal and you’re all done!
As you can see in the video, there are lots of different ways that you can distress your shirts. I love the ombre look that comes from soaking them but I am also really into the drizzle method. Just play around a little bit and see what you like best. Bleaching flannel shirts is simple but it is also always an adventure because you never know what the shirts are going to do until you get going. I hope you have a lot of fun with this project!
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This is a really cool technique!
Happy new year. Loved seeing your process…im a hands on rather than reading person. Anxious to try….think I’ll use some shirts I already have but don’t wear. Does this work ok on shirts that aren’t flannel? Excited to try. Thanks again
Love the look! Be careful though…I tried bleaching a hoodie recently, and when it wasn’t working I left it in for way too long. Pulled it out and the entire bottom of the hoodie was gone. Lol. Poof!
This was a fun project. I enjoyed doing it.