Leaf Prints: Fabric

 I stumbled upon the idea that you can make leaf prints on fabric using bleach in a craft magazine. I love leaf prints, so I gave it a whirl.

First, I made a solution of 3 parts water, 1 part bleach. Then I collected leaves. I used a flat paintbrush to coat the underside of the leaf with the solution. Next, press on fabric. It takes several minutes for the bleach to do its work and for the design to appear. When I was satisfied with the results, I gave the shirt a good rinse to remove any residual bleach. 

Front:

I tried this on a black cotton tank top, and a stretch-cotton purple shirt. Oddly enough, the purple shirt was unaffected--no evidence of printing! It may be that by the time I got to the second shirt, the solution was mostly water. 

Back:

I'm not sure why the designs came out red. I  think more bleach into the solution would produce bolder designs. It was a worthwhile experiment, but I won't try it on any nice clothes any time soon.