Saturday, June 14, 2014

Bleach batik

One of the projects I've been having fun working on for Monday is bleach batik. It's simple to discharge dye from colored fabric to make your own designs. Use a bleach pen, then rinse your fabric when you see the dye change you want (these were all on about 5 minutes). Most fabrics discharge dye to make a color other than white, which I didn't expect the first time I did it.
Bleach pens work better than straight bleach because the gel formula holds in place better and the dilution keeps the bleach from being as corrosive. For a less-expensive option (x20 adds up for us!), you can make your own to fill either a used bleach pen or old glue bottle.

Mix 2 T. cornstarch into 1 c. COLD water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thickened. Let cool completely, stirring occasionally, then stir in 5-6 T. household bleach, continuing to mix until smooth. Easy peasy.

1 comment:

  1. This gel works great, but has a short shelf life. My first batch worked well the first day, but I had no bleaching power with my squeeze bottle of gel two days later. I recommend making it just before use.

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