Five Simple Ways to Design Your Own T-shirts

Need a crafty present, want to make shirts for a sports team, or just feel like making a fashion statement? Here are five of the simplest ways to make a bold statement with an ordinary T-shirt.

Bleach it out
Ever tried tie-dyeing a shirt? It can produce wonderful, tasteful effects if done properly. Now imagine using the same technique on a colored or black shirt, but instead of dye, using bleach! This can create some amazing patterns and color variation, and is definitely worth experimenting with!

If you've got a steady hand and a creative mind, then you could also try altering your shirts with bleach pens. Intended for precision bleaching on laundry, bleach pens are an amazing design tool, and can be used to make your mark on almost any type of fabric! Just make sure to put a sturdy piece of cardboard between the layers of your fabric while using your bleach pen so that your design doesn't soak through, and to let the bleach sit for about twenty minutes, or until it's as light as you intended. If you're not sure you're ready to go freehand, try writing your design in a washable marker, and then tracing over it with the bleach. When you wash the garment, the marker will fade away, but your precise, bleached lines will remain intact.

Remember, before doing any project with bleach, to properly protect your skin by wearing gloves, and to protect your lungs and brain by working in a well-ventilated workspace. It's also a good idea to wear all white, and work in an area where stray drops of bleach aren't likely to damage anything.

Weave it in
Visit your local craft store and stock up on decorative ribbon, yarn, and embroidery floss. Weaving colorful ribbons or threads into the sleeve or neckline hems of a shirt can create a vibrant and unique effect, and is very easy to do. For yarn or embroidery floss, just get a big sewing needle and stitch the threads into the fabric, precisely where you want them. For ribbon, cut slits into your fabric that are as wide as your ribbon, about an inch apart, and then weave the ribbon under and over for an awesome look. Run over this with your sewing machine to make sure it stays in place.