How to Make a Galaxy Shirt

Co-authored by Hannah Madden

Last Updated: January 13, 2021 Tested

Chic galaxy shirts that mimic the appearance of the starry heavens have gotten popular in recent years, but you don't have to pay big bucks to add this trendy fashion item to your wardrobe. Make your own with little more than a black shirt, bleach, and white paint. Here's what you need to do.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Creating the Galaxy

1
Lay out a black shirt on a large plastic garbage bag. Line the inside of the shirt with plastic, as well.
- Any plastic sheeting or large plastic surface will work. You simply need something that is capable of preventing bleach and paint from dripping onto the floor or bleeding through the shirt.
- Placing plastic inside the shirt prevents the bleach from bleeding through and staining the other side.
- If possible, use a plain black cotton shirt. Cotton and similarly absorbent materials work best for this project. You must also use a black shirt, rather than a white or color shirt.
2
Mix bleach with water. Combine three parts water with seven parts bleach in a spray bottle. Shake the bottle to make sure that the liquids are thoroughly combined.
- A travel size spray bottle should be large enough. You do not need much bleach solution for this project.
- Avoid using straight, undiluted bleach, as it could eat away at the fabric.
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3
Spray the bleach onto the shirt. Randomly yet carefully spray the shirt with your bleach solution.
- Make some sprays close together and others further apart. Spraying the bleach near other bleach spots will create the appearance of connected star clusters, while spraying them further apart helps to create the illusion of depth and distance by making it appear as though there are other star clusters in the distance.
- The bleach will create a rusty red-orange color on the black shirt.
- Do not spray too much of the shirt. You want some black area to remain in order to highlight the galaxy pattern. Otherwise, your shirt may end up looking like a rust-colored laundry accident.
4
Create a galaxy star cluster in the middle of the shirt.^{[1]
X
Research source} Twist the fabric in the middle of the shirt and liberally spray the center of the twist with bleach.
- This step is only optional, and you can create a galaxy shirt without creating a central star cluster.
- Wait until after you get a decent pattern of bleach on your shirt before making the central star cluster.
5
Dry the bleach spots. You can let the bleach dry naturally or you can speed the process up with a hair dryer.
- If drying naturally, place the shirt in a sunny location and let it dry completely.
- If you want to speed the process up, dry the shirt by pointing a hair dryer, set to a low setting, at the wet bleach spots.
- Drying the shirt can take 30 to 40 minutes.
6
Wash and dry the shirt. Rinse the shirt in lukewarm water and let it air dry.
- Washing the shirt stops the bleach from working further into the fabric. As a result, the bleach is less likely to eat away at the material.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Adding Stars

1
Splash white fabric paint onto the shirt. Dip a stiff paintbrush into white fabric paint and flick the paint off the brush by pulling back on the bristles and quickly releasing them over the shirt.
- Make sure to use fabric paint, since many other type of paint may wear off when washed.
- You could also use an old toothbrush instead of a paintbrush.
- Similarly, you could flick the paint off the brush by holding the brush in one hand and quickly snapping your wrist in the direction of the shirt. This may give you less control over where the paint dots fall, however.
- Try to concentrate the flecks of paint around the bleached star clusters you created. A few stray stars are okay, but the majority should be near the bleached portion of the shirt rather than the empty portion.
- You may want to practice first to make sure that you can get the flicking motion right. You will need to create small dots of paint, and if you don't know what you're doing, you may end up creating large blobs, instead.
2
Blur larger specks of paint.^{[2]
X
Research source} If you do get a few larger, thicker dabs of paint on your shirt, remedy the situation by gently blurring these dabs with the palm of your hand.
- Simply press down on the blobs with your hand. Do not rub your hand back and forth, since doing so will smear the dots. Merely pressing down on the dots of paint will thin them out, making them stand out less.
3
Purposefully add a few larger dots of paint. If desired, you can create a constellation effect by purposefully dripping a few larger blobs of paint or bleach at various places around the shirt.
- This step is only optional. If used, these larger blobs should only be about twice the size as a normal speck.
- Do not add too many larger blobs, since these have a tendency to be distracting.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Finishing Touches

1
Sponge on a few other colors. A normal palette consists of blue, yellow, and purple, but you can get more creative if desired. Use a sponge brush to lightly dab these colors around the edges of your bleach star clusters and in the midst of your white-speckled stars.
- You do not need to add more colors, but the right colors can add further depth and visual interest to your galaxy shirt.
- For a more feminine look, you can use shades like magenta, deep purple, and lighter pink.
- If you do not have a sponge brush, a plain sponge will also work. Choose a sponge with small holes, however. A dish sponge is too porous.
- Use thin acrylic paint for this step. Fabric paint tends to be more opaque, and you need something a little more translucent to create the desired effect.
2
Blur the colors with water. Lighten and smooth the appearance of the paint by dabbing it with a water-soaked sponge or paper towel.
- When done, you should still be able to see any painted stars or bleached star clusters beneath the added paint.
- Blend until you achieve an effect that appeals to you. Some portions can be darker than others, but these extra colors should only be used to create depth. They should not be the focal point of the shirt.
3
Alternatively, spray the color on instead of sponging it.^{[3]
X
Research source} Use spray fabric paint to lightly spray the edges of the star clusters, creating depth.
- This method works best if you ended up bleaching a large portion of your shirt rather than a smaller, confined portion.
- You can use multiple colors, but it may work better if you only use one or two similar colors, like purple and blue.
- Water-down tie-dye paint will also work if you cannot find spray fabric paint.
- You do not need to dilute the paint with water afterward.
4
Dry, rinse, and dry again. After all is said and done, let the shirt dry flat overnight. Rinse it with cold water and let air dry.

Community Q&A

Question

Why can't a galaxy shirt be white?

Community Answer

You can use any color you like, but black makes the most sense, since space, where galaxies reside, is black.
Question

Can I use any colors, or do I have to use the colors in the pictures?

Community Answer

You can use any color. I think black makes the most sense for the fabric because space is black, but feel free to be creative!
Question

Do I have to use fabric paint or can I just use acrylic paint?

Community Answer

You can use acrylic but you will not get the best results. The acrylic paint will harden the shirt and likely come off in the wash.