DIY: Ombré Denim Shirt

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The Year’s Biggest Trend Meets the Classic Jean Shirt

DIY ombre jean shirt how tophotos: jenelle for we heart this

With the ombré trend all the rage right now – I couldn’t resist doing an ombré DIY for the we heat this readers. The gradient color trend, seen in hair, clothing and even nails, has been popular for over a year – and seems to be going strong.

It’s time for ombré to get a wht How To! I brought this denim shirt a while ago and haven’t worn it yet, so it was perfect for a DIY project.

supplies needed for DIY ombre

Supplies:
Denim shirt
Bleach
Bucket
Hanger
Rubber gloves

Directions:

bleach in bucket

1. Pour warm water and bleach into your bucket. (Check your bleach bottle for water to bleach ratio.)

2. Place the shirt on a hanger and button it up.

dipping a jean shirt into a bucket of bleach

3. Place your shirt in the bucket with the bleach. I put mine about half way in, leaving the top 4 buttons of the shirt out of the bleach.

jean shirt hanging on hanger

4. Let the shirt soak for 20 to 30 minutes. If it doesn’t look light enough for you, put it back in the bucket and keep checking back every 5 minutes.

5. When finished, rinse the shirt well and then wash as normal.

DIY ombre jean shirt styled

Tip: If you want your shirt to fade more gradually, and not just jump from the blue to white, pull 2 or 3 inches of the shirt out of the bucket every 10 minutes till you reach the end.

we heartsters – How do you feel about the ombré trend? Is this Ombré Denim Shirt a look you would wear?

Author

  • nellecreations

    Jenelle is a DIY fashion blogger from Canada who's believes you can be fashionable while staying on a budget. Traveling the world, meeting Justin Timberlake and attending Fashion Week are just a few things on her bucket list. Check out her blog, Nelle Creations for more DIY fun.

11 Comments

  1. I can’t believe how good this looks and how easy you make it sound, @nellecreations ! I’m going to look through my closet for something I can try it on. Ha, I’m not the best with bleach, so wish me luck!

    1. It really was very simple…just need time for the shirt to sit in the bleach. I would love to see your results when you are finished :)

  2. @nellecreations ! I’m a girl after your own heart! I’ve done this to my jeans.. but all over not just the top of bottom of them.. My mom taught me how to do that back in the 70’s! It’s down right fun doing it too.. I love watching them turn right before your eyes! Pretty cool and funky, indeed! Thanks for posting! :)

  3. Love this DIY – no sewing involved. In high school we used to bleach our jeans and t-shirts to get a ‘punk’ rock look – but I never realized I could use the same technique for an ombre effect. Thanks for the tips @nellecreations!

    I like the idea of doing this to a pair of jeans – keep the butt and thighs dark (that’s where I store my extra weight) and lighten it up all down the leg. And an ombred tank top would be a great piece for the this summer!

    1. Not quite what we did in High School @tyna – we just used to pour bleach directly on clothes. No diluting involved! Too punk for diluting.

      Love this @nellecreations – so easy and so, so cute!

  4. This would be cool with a jean jacket, or shorts, or skirt! (I’m not a fan of the denim button up haha). Great tutorial though.

  5. @nellecreations This is awesome! I see this trend all over but it’s always quite a pricey penny… Nice to see that it’s easy to do at home. I love your final look!

  6. after you do this DIY, how r u supposed to wash it? doesnt say here, or does it>

    1. Hey Mar,

      I first rinsed the shirt in a sink to let out any excess bleach and then put it in the wash in a normal cycle.

      Hope that helps!

  7. Hey Mar,

    I rinsed the shirt in a sink and then just threw in the washing machine using a normal cycle.
    Hope that helps!

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