Baby Shower Idea: DIY Bleach Pen Onesies

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I love the idea of creating something special for the new baby as part of a shower activity. When my friends threw me a baby shower for Edie this summer they sent all the invitees a swaddle blanket to decorate. Everyone showed up for the shower with dyed, trimmed, screen printed, stamped personalized blankets. It was such a sweet and thoughtful surprise (and useful!). Every time I use the blanket I think of that person that made it. bleachpentee5

Along those same lines, these bleach pen onesies would be a lovely idea as well. You can either package up plain onesies in the mail with the invitation for people to bring decorated to the shower with a name, phrase, design, or you can have decorate them at the party. It’s fun to see what all your creative friends will come up with!bleach pen onesies baby shower

The main problems we ran into were writing on stretchy jersey fabric, and a too-wide tip. See our easy solutions (and more Edie deliciousness) after the jump!

PS Other bleach projects of mine: tie-dye bleach swaddle and printed spring napkins

Photography and styling by Liz Stanley. Assisted by Sara Albers

Materials:
Bleach pen
1/2 millimeter stainless steel artist tip (found at art stores)
Freezer paper (found next to the waxed paper in the grocery store)
Iron
Onesie for baby

diy bleach pen tshirt

Directions:

1. Cut a piece of freezer paper more than the width and height you’d like your word or sentence  to be and iron it onto the back of your onesie to create a stiff space to write easily on. This step is crucial!

2. Working in a well ventilated area, screw an artist tip to the end of the bleach pen to create a super thin line. At first we thought it was too thin but the bleach does bleed a little and it ended up being perfect. Test on some t-shirt fabric first to see what style you like best. Also, we at first used a bleach pen that was a few months old and it wasn’t bleaching! Make sure yours is in working order.

Use a small tip for more delicate designs and the regular thick tip for larger designs. Below you can see what it looks like without the artist tip. Might be great for an older kid’s tee but for a baby onesie you really need the thin tip

diy_bleach_pen_onesies113. Allow the bleach to set for 15 minutes and then wash the bleach off gently in the sink, then throw then machine wash the onesie.

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4. Tickle and coo at your cute baby in her new personalized onesie

Comments

This is such a great idea! I absolutely love it! Thank you for sharing as this really would be something unique and especially fun to do at a baby shower! Keep the great ideas coming!

@shopwhiteplum

What a cool way to customize a gift! How did you attach the artist tip? Did it screw on? I’ve never used one.

I LOVE this idea. I have been struggling to find t-shirts that are simple but still fun for my almost one-year-old son. Now, I think I’ll just make them!

Love these pictures! They make me smile a lot 🙂
Thanks for sharing the technique, I was really looking for a baby DIY without the use of allergenic substances!
xx
Novella

http://9lla.it/
A fashion & DIY blog…

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