Claire at Poopscape has a ton of super cool project tutorials going on, including this cool bleached stencil placemat project. Since the dollar store has a huge selection of placemats, I dub this project right up our collective alley! Claire’s tute has a large “test the bleach and see how it reacts” component, so I suggest picking up an extra test placemat to cut up and use for your bleach spatter testing. Hey, they’re only a buck, right?

This would also be a cool project for tea towels (also in abundance at the dollar store), or pillowcases. You could also jazz your clothing up this way (a bleach stencil skirt would be way cool!). Of course you aren’t limited to using dishes for the stencils – use whatever you want, or cut your own stencil out of contact paper or freezer paper (and iron on).

Spray bottles and atomizers can both be found at the dollar store, in the cleaning supplies aisle or the bath & body section.

Project Estimate:

• Dark-colored placemat, $1
• Bleach, on hand
• Spray bottle or atomizer, on hand or $1

Total cost: $1 and up