Happy 4th of July everyone!  It’s raining here in New Jersey and most of the parades and fireworks were postponed until tomorrow.  Great news, if you are a procrastinator like me!  That means you have plenty of time to make some festive red, white and blue t-shirts for the whole family.  Smart Jr and I made two versions this week, we used acrylic paint to paint and bleach and are loving the results!  Seriously these are super quick and you I bet you could do all these shirts in about an hour.While shopping at AC Moore for t-shirts, my younger ones decided they want to make a get along shirt.  They crack me up.This is our t-shirt making workstation.  (Notice the unfinished outdoor shower in the background.)

Painted American Flag Shirts

Supplies:

• t-shirts (duh)
• acrylic paint, brushes, and something to put the paint in
• cardboard to put inside the shirt
• painter’s tape (optional)
• star stickers

How to:

1. Cut a cardboard box to size and stick the cardboard inside the shirt, so the paint doesn’t get through to the back.
2. Add star stickers in any design you’d like, then paint around them with blue.
3. Either free hand or tape off and paint the red stripes.
4. Let dry, remove tape and cardboard and viola!

Here’s the version Smart Jr made.  She taped off her stripes and went for a messy painted effect. 

Bleached American Flag Shirts

Supplies:

• t-shirts (I think blue worked a lot better than red)
• bleach in a spray bottle
• cardboard to put inside the shirt
• painter’s tape
• star stickers

How to:

1. Cut a cardboard box to size and stick the cardboard inside the shirt, so the bleach doesn’t get through to the back.
2. Add painter’s tape and star stickers to your heart’s content.  PUSH DOWN FIRMLY because bleach will get under the tape/stickers a lot more than paint.
3. Spray front with bleach.  Do light sprays because a little goes a long way, remember the bleach will spread as it seeps into the fabric.
4. Wait until you see the color start to change, about 5-7 minutes, then flip the shirt over and give a few spritzes on the back.  You could totally do a design on the back too, but I just went for bleach splatter.
5. After a few more minutes, remove tape, stickers, and cardboard.
6. When fading gets to the point you like, rinse shirt in COLD water, ring it out and repeat.  Then throw the shirt in the dryer to further set it.
7. After the shirts are dry, wash and dry them in the washing machine before wearing, otherwise the shirts will smell like bleach.

Well have a great day even if you decide not to take on a DIY project!  It doesn’t get any more American than my kid eating apple pie on the front porch!