9.9.11

DIY: reverse-dye leggings

i tried out a little DIY project the other day after watching Lexi's tutorial on 'reverse-dye'. I'd never heard of it before but it sounded pretty simple so i gave it a go. i used an old pair of primark leggings just in case it went wrong, but you can use anything you want, I'm pretty sure it doesn't even have to be black.

step one
take whatever it is your reverse-dying and some elastic bands, i didn't have any so just used hair bands, these will do fine. scrunch up the material and keep in place using your elastic bands, however you scrunch up your material will affect the way the dye turns out.

step two
measure out 1 part bleach and dilute it with 1 part water, it doesn't really matter how much you use, it depends how much liquid you want. i measured out up to the 8 on this measuring jug so that there would be enough liquid to cover the bottom of the tub i was using.

 step three
pour your bleach and water mixture into an old bucket or washing up bowl and make sure it covers the base of it, this makes it easier when dipping in your leggings. it doesn't matter if the bowl isn't completely clean as you'll be washing the leggings later.

 
step four
now start dipping the leggings into the bleach, you could wear rubber gloves if you have some but if not just make sure not to get bleach on your hands as it's an irritant. also, be careful not to cover all of the leggings in bleach, just dip most of it in and move it around as opposed to covering it all, this will help to make sure the pattern turns out well.

 you'll notice the fabric gradually starting to lighten, carry on bleaching until your happy with the colour it's turning.

 step five
now take your leggings out of the bleach and put them either in the sink, a separate bowl or any other container. leave for a few minutes, or until you can see that the fabric has lightened to the colour you want. (this is the sink in my utility room, hence why it's so grotty haha!)


step six
now you need to wash your leggings to make sure all of the bleach is out, a quick wash should do. keep the elastic bands on while you wash them so you don't run the risk of accidentally bleaching all of the fabric. after that you can tumble dry or just leave to dry over night, it's up to you!



step seven
once your leggings have dried that's it, your done. now you can wear them:)

this is how mine turned out..

they're alot brighter than i anticipated but I'm pleased with them, and they were alot cheaper than forking out for a topshop pair! comment below or tweet me if you give this a go.

5 comments:

  1. love how they turned out, I'll have to try this!

    xx

    ReplyDelete
  2. oh wow those turned out so well!!! you did a awesome job with them :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. WOW! Emily they are AMAZING!!! I did this years ago with a cushion cover(?)
    Gets addictive. ALL your clothes will look like this from now on! bahaha!
    xx

    http://thepamperedsparrow.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  4. These are freaking awesome!!!! x

    ReplyDelete

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