Mequet Is Crafty: Stenciling: Version 2.0

Ok, so here's how to do a bleach stencil!

List of supplies:

Freezer Paper
X-Acto Knife
A surface to cut the stencil out on
An iron
A piece of cardboard or something to stick inside the shirt for when you're ready to bleach
An image to stencil
A shirt
2 paint brushes (one very small one for detailing and a bigger one)

So, here's my stuff:

We already went over how to get your image on the paper the last time, so we don't need to do that again.

Now, the most important thing you need to remember for bleach stenciling is that you're cutting out the opposites of what you would cut out for regular paint stenciling. So, based on that principle, your black free floating pieces are your islands. The white parts will be cut out. And there will be black pieces that are still attached. Here's my image:

First, you'll want to cut out an outline all the way around your image, staying just a hair outside the lines (like maybe 1/8-1/4 inch to the outside). You'll end up with this:

Let's take a closer look:

Now, look at the close up of the image again and you'll see that there are some parts that need to be cut out that are still attached to your outline. This is because the lines closing those bits off aren't all connected. That sentence doesn't make any sense, but look at this:

See? Ok, what you need to do is connect all the lines. Here's how it'll look at that point:

See how all of those lines are now connected? Ok good. Now it's time to start cutting. Time for another diagram!

Ok, so I took the pictures out of order. This picture doesn't have all of it's lines connected, but just pretend. So, like you did before, just set the islands aside for now. Also, that piece of paper with your text on it? Set it aside also. Once you have your stuff cut out, you should have this:

So, you have all of your islands to the left there. It helps to lay them out in generally the same position that they'll go back in. It just cuts down on poking around trying to figure out what piece goes where. Then, you have your main stencil. That's the gray outline of the face. Then, you have your big white part. You'll use that later with your islands to get them positioned properly. So, now you iron your main stencil down. Like so:

Then, using your big white part as a puzzle piece, position and attach your islands. Like this:

Now for the text! Cut out all your letters and again, save the ones that have middles. Since I used a different font, this time I had more middles to be saved. Dang, Obama, why there gotta be so many middles in your name?

Now, you'll want to kind of match up the bottom of your stencil with the top of the piece that has the text on it. Like this:

When you iron it down, leave a bit of space (again, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch-just be consistent with how much room you left on your outline). So, now you should have this:

Now, cut out and attach all of your middles and you'll have this:

Now, it's finally time for some bleaching!! Stick your piece of cardboard or whatever inside your shirt. Get a little plate or something and squirt some of your gel bleach onto it. You'll be using it as if it were paint. What you're going to do is "paint" the bleach just inside the lines of your stencil and just outside the lines of your island. You have to do it this way. You cannot do like you do with the paint and just brush all over the stencil. The bleach will eat through the paper and you'll just end up with a Rorschach looking blob. I know because that's what happened to me the first time I tried bleach stenciling.

One of the really interesting things about using bleach is that it's different every time. You'll never know what color the bleached part will be. Sometimes it turns white, sometimes yellow, sometimes a light purple, sometimes a brownish red. Because gel bleach is a diluted form of regular bleach, it can safely sit on the fabric for a while without it being corrosive and eating a hole in your shirt. So, depending on your particular shirt, you won't necessarily see instant bleaching. It may take a minute or so before it starts "developing", so to speak. Also, it doesn't look the same on every part of your fabric. Some parts will be lighter than others, but it makes for a very cool effect. You'll see.

Once you're finished with all of your "painting", you'll need to go all around your stencil in a line. Not the part with the text, just the outline of the head. The reason you have to do this is because if you don't, all of the dark parts will just blend in with the rest of the shirt and you'll have a face kind of free floating. Here's what I have now:

As you can see, the shirt is just barely changing color at this point. This fabric was particularly stubborn (maybe because it was a sweatshirt?) and I just left the bleach sitting for about 3 or 4 hours, until it was sufficiently lightened for my tastes. I've never had to leave one that long before. Usually by the time I've finished "painting" my bleach on, the first parts that I started on have already lightened enough.

Now, once everything has lightened fairly evenly, go ahead and peel your stencil off, carefully, so that you don't touch any non-stencil portions of the shirt with bleach. If you can throw it in the washer right away (by itself, obviously), go ahead and do that. If you can't, just run it under some cold water to get the bleach off and leave it until you can wash it. Just machine wash and dry it as usual. Here's my finished product: