Friday, July 6, 2012

Tea Staining Tees.


Anybody with two eyes can tell that vintage is definitely the "it thing" right now. I mean, I seriously own at least 20 pieces of clothing that have some type of vintage-lace embellishment. One of my favorite parts about vintage clothing is all of the washed, cream, totally-found-at-an-antique-store look. But, being the faithful bargain shopper that I am, sometimes it's a bit challenging to find the perfectly washed tee or cami.
Thus, I bring thee a solution.
Tea Staining.

Materials:
  • A preferably cotton blend article of clothing. (I'm going to use a shirt)
  • Tea bags (how many is completely dependent on how dark you want your stain.)
  • Large pot
  • A plastic (heat safe) bowl
*Be considerate of the fact that this is a stain, and it can stain carpets and the clothing you have on. Not to mention the tea is very, very hot.*

LET'S GO
  1. Fill pot to about half full of water, considering how much space your shirt is going to take up, and bring to a boil.
  2. Once water is boiling, cut off the heat and put in your tea bags.
    • The less amount of teabags you use, the lighter the stain. The more tea bags, the darker the stain. The same goes for how long it's steeped for. The longer amount of time; darker. The less amount of time; lighter. I used two tea bags in for about 30 seconds for an ultra light stain. (Keep in mind, it's better to start light, and if it's too light, you can re-stain.)
  3. Remove tea bags and put your shirt in the pot! Stir constantly and until the tea has soaked through. Make sure to have your plastic heat-safe bowl ready.
  4. Using tongs, remove your shirt from the tea and put into the bowl. You can leave the shirt in the bowl for about 5 minutes or so, and I recommend stirring it around a bit simply to let the heat escape.
  5. Throw it in the wash and dryer on regular.
  6. Viola! Embrace your new tea stained apparel! 

X's & O's
   Rea