Classic series: DIY colored shorts

With Spring Break 2014 fast approaching (and I know you all have realized this while scheduling workout sessions) it's a good time to start thinking about what shorts you'll be wearing on the beach. Here are some shorts I dyed back in the summer of 2012.

How to dye your own jean shorts

What you'll need: a plastic bucket that you can safely fill with bleach water and later dye, jean shorts, bleach, fabric dye of your choice, yard stick or other hill-billy stirrin' device. 

Step 1: Pick out your shorts. I chose a nice medium wash denim pair that I cut out from an old pair (made obvious because there is still the old signature stitching on the pockets which they don't do anymore) of Pac Sun Bullhead jeans. 

Step 2: You will need to bleach the shorts before you dye them. Measure out 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of bleach and fill your bucket up until you can fully submerge your shorts (preferably without folding or wadding them up).

Your dog might want to help too, thats fine, I gave Little a

purple dip dye when I was done with the shorts. Just don't

let them drink the bleach water bad things will happen.

Step 3: Depending on the bucket you use you may have to adjust the shorts in the water so they are evenly bleached. After about 15 minutes I flipped mine over. In a half hour your shorts should be pretty white. 

Step 4: Remove the shorts from the water and rinse them off in the sink. You can also rinse them with vinegar water to stop the bleaching process, but I didn't find it necessary. Now lay them out to dry and go read the Hunger Games or Fifty Shades of Grey.

Step 5: Now that the shorts are dry take your fabric dye (which can be found in the detergent isle) and add it to water in your bucket per the instructions on the bottle. It's about half a bottle of dye to every 3 gallons of water. 

Step 6: Toss those shorts in there! Stir them around a little bit and push them down to the bottom of the bucket with your stirrin' stick. (The back of the dye bottle suggests stirring the mixture for 30 minutes, but I elected not to and my shorts turned out great)

Step 7: This is where you have some options, the longer you leave your shorts in the dye the more vibrant the color will be. The dye bottle said 30 minutes, but I left them in 15 minutes longer.

Step 8: Pull those purple puppies out of there and rinse them out until the water runs clear (or close to it).

Step 9: Let 'em dry. And make sure when you wash them later (which I suggest doing before you wear them) that you wash them alone so your other clothes aren't dyed to match.

Voila! Purple shorts. Send me pics of how yours turn out!