I hear Ombre things are in these days? I'm not usually a trend follower unless it's something I completely love, but these are definitely one of those things so it's a win-win situation right? You get a cool tutorial and I get some cute shorts! Read on to find out how to create your own.
You can use any denim shorts you already own OR make your own like these!
I've created a super-simple tutorial for upcycling your old jeans into a pair of cut-offs, see the full tutorial here.
Bleach Ombre - You Will Need:
- One pair of denim cut-offs (I've gone for an already pale denim for a subtle effect. If ombre-dramatica is your thing, opt for a darker denim for a bit more oomph.)
- Bleach. You don't need expensive stuff, mine cost 29p from the basic range at the supermarket for a huge 2 litre bottle.
- Water
- Trouser Hanger
- Bucket/tub/sink
- Gloves
DON'T FORGET YOUR GLOVES! Bleach is nasty stuff. Take your bucket or sink and fill 1-3 inches with a half and half solution of bleach and water (check the instructions as this may vary). Fold your shorts in half, attach them to your hanger and put them in the bleach so the bottom of the legs sit in the solution. The bleach will creep up the fabric after a while so you don't need to dunk them all the way in. I added a bit more solution after around an hour or so and left them for a few hours. By this point the bleach had soaked right up to the top meaning the whole garment was lightening so I removed them and put them through a hot wash followed by the dryer and repeated the whole process again until they were as light as I could get them at the bottom.
You can already see the difference after one round of bleaching compared to the old leg:
Repeat until you're satisfied with your ombre dip-dyed-ness. Dispose of your bleach solution and put your shorts through the wash once or twice until the smell of bleach has gone, dry and there you have it, yes, it's really THAT EASY!
You can already see the difference after one round of bleaching compared to the old leg:
Enjoy and as always, I would LOVE to see anything you make using my tutorials ♥
I am a guy, and I was searching for jeans fading from top to the bottom, couldn't find them on the market, and then I saw this tutorial, love it, gonna try as soon as I find a nice pair of jeans to ruin :D
ReplyDeletethank you very much :)
ReplyDeleteI am trying this today! I am doing the very same thing as you, with some old jeans - I bought the bleach today and the gloves and I'm really excited to get started. I'll contact you with some photos when I've finished!
ReplyDeletethanks alot :) it looks lovely as your blog!
ReplyDeleteWhat if i want to put a color on it? What will I use or what will I do?
ReplyDeleteHey Jella, you could try dip dying them? There are tonnes of excellent tutorials on youtube :)
ReplyDeleteHi thanks fo this! just wonering is the bleach you used was toilet bleach or a specific clothes bleach? also do places such as tesco asda or morrissons have the bleach you need?
ReplyDeleteHi Annia! The bleach I used was sainsbury's basics thin bleach (it comes in a big 2L bottle), all supermarkets I've been to seem to have their own branded one for pennies. You can use proper clothes bleach also but I got by fine with the cheap stuff for a DIY project :) Hope this helps!
DeleteThank you!
DeleteHi! I'm Natasha Craft, an 8th grader at Lincoln Jr. High. For our last quarter in school we are writing a "how-to" direction essay. I came across your blog and was jumping with excitement when I found this post. My blog is about fashion too. I decided to go ahead and try this project. My shorts turned out amazing. I just wanted to let you know that I love your blog and was completely inspired by it and I am writing my essay on it. :)
ReplyDeleteHey Natasha, thank you! Gad I could help! Would love to see how yours turned out :)
Deletehello, I was just wondering about when you washed the shorts. What other clothing items could you wash them with? I'm just worried abotu possibly bleaching other clothing unintentionally.
ReplyDeleteHi Brigitte!
DeleteSo long as you wash all the bleach out first you should be able to throw them in the wash with similar colours. Some people dunk them in vinegar to stop the bleach working. Others wash them a few times on their own before adding other laundry to the mix. I hope this helps somewhat? Good luck with your shorts!
I'm doing this right now with my old blue jeans. i hope it would turn out great as great as yours. :D
ReplyDeleteI'm doing this now to my old blue jeans. I hope it will turn out as good as yours. :)
ReplyDeletejust wondered. could you put this in a wash with bleach (in the washing machine) or would it get too diluted. I have a 3 years old at home, very inquisitive and bleach is not very user friendly so I was wondering about making it safer. what do you think?
ReplyDeleteI don't know how it would work in the washing machine as I've only ever used the process in my tutorial, you certainly wouldn't get the ombre effect but it may create something else unique - give it a try!
DeleteAwesome tutorial and beautiful result. I love this kind of light denim wash, amazing for spring and summer.
ReplyDelete