Bleaching for easy spring wardrobe update and tutorial

     spring is here and summer isn't far behind. although you have a lot of cute basics from last year, there are probably a few items in the back of your closet that you are not looking forward to wearing this season. either they are too worn out, out of style, or they just don't appeal to your personal tastes any more. don't toss these items in the trash and don't give them away. it's easy to update your warm-weather-wardrobe from last year so you can look chic this year without spending very much money. here's how:

     every one of us girls remembers how ripped and faded our shorts would become by the end of the summer. and every one of us still wore them the following summer regardless. it's funny how ripped and faded shorts have become a wardrobe staple in a sense. today, almost every girl has a pair of ripped shorties in her summer closet. but unlike their childhood shorts, these don't have a story behind them. they never weathered rocky beaches and rough tree branches, they weathered the shopping mall and the factory. and for quite a price! some of these itty bitty cutoffs start at $60! but you can get this look at home for less. have a pair of old shorts laying around? i know i did. i had three pairs of old shorts that had lost buttons and were fading. they needed some changes.

      i started out with plain shorts and added my own rips, tears, and store-bought styled holes. i also bleach them for a different affect. Tutorials and Tips are listed below:
__________________________________________________________________________________

EXTREME DESTROYED DENIM SHORTS
LEVEL: hard

hand ripped and bleached denim shorts

hand ripped and bleached denim shorts

WHAT YOU NEED:
*old pair of shorts (don't use pants -> cutoffs)
*scissors
*staple gun
*small durable piece of flexible material (ie: rubber, plastic, something you can easily puncture)
*bleach
*spoon or small cup for pouring
*paint brush or other tool for application
*washing machine
*dryer

WHAT YOU DO:
1. assess your shorts. cut off the bottom hem or unstitch it depending on how short you want your shorts to be
2. assemble a ripping tool. this is necessary to make the rips because a needle is too small for pulling stitches and sand paper is too weak. to make this, pierce the durable material (i use flexible pieces of rubber) with a staple gun on one side. make sure you can still hold it without injuring yourself.
3. start anywhere you would like rips and drag the ripping tool horizontally against fabric to pull out vertical stitching and comb horizontal stitching. work quickly and rest if your arm gets tired. be patient as it can take up to five minutes to begin seeing results. make as many rips as you want
4. use scissors to make larger holes and make some cuts into bottom of shorts to allow fraying
5. get bleach and start applying. you can pour it on and make designs with a brush
6. wash in washing machine and dry in dryer for best results
7. snip off frayed ends that are too long
________________________________________________________________________________

SIMPLE DESTROYED DENIM SHORTS
LEVEL: medium

hand destroyed and bleached denim shorts

hand destroyed and bleached denim shorts

WHAT YOU NEED:
*old pair of shorts (don't use pants -> cutoffs)

*scissors
*staple gun
*small durable piece of flexible material (ie: rubber, plastic, something you can easily puncture)
*bleach
*paint brush or other tool for splattering
*washing machine
*dryer



WHAT YOU DO:
1. assess your shorts. cut off the bottom hem or unstitch it depending on how short you want your shorts to be
2. assemble a ripping tool. this is necessary to make the rips because a needle is too small for pulling stitches and sand paper is too weak. to make this, pierce the durable material (i use flexible pieces of rubber) with a staple gun on one side. make sure you can still hold it without injuring yourself.
3. start anywhere you would like rips and drag the ripping tool horizontally against fabric to pull out vertical stitching and comb horizontal stitching. work quickly and rest if your arm gets tired. be patient as it can take up to five minutes to begin seeing results. make as many rips as you want

4. use scissors to make some cuts into bottom of shorts to allow fraying
5. get bleach and start applying.use a paint brush of small tool and do a splatter design randomly making larger spots occasionally
6. wash in washing machine and dry in dryer for best results

7. snip off frayed ends that are too long
______________________________________________________________________________

have fun this summer!