DIY Divergent Shirt!

Hey guys! Today I'm going to show you how to make a divergent razor back shirt. If you don't know what divergent is, it's a book and now movie based on a post-apocalyptic Chicago. That isn't what this post is about though so I'll show you how to make the shirt! This is going to be my longest post yet, so just a heads up.

Finished Product

Materials:

• Old t-shirt
• Scissors
• Sharpies
• Fabric Paint
• Sponge paint brushes
• Cardboard
• Wool (optional)
• Bleach
• Small jar/container for bleach

Step 1:
Lay your shirt out flat and cut the neck following the stitching (be careful the front is usually deeper than the back).

Use the stitching as a guide.

Step 2:

Cut the first sleeve off from the shoulder down to the armpit. You may want to outline where you want your sleeve to be with a sharpie.

Try to cut evenly to avoid jagged edges.

After you cut the first sleeve, fold the shirt in half evenly so that you can use that first sleeve as a guide and be left with two sleeves that are the same width and depth.

Use this edge as a guide.

Next stretch both of the arm holes (gently!) so that the sleeves won't look jagged. This will also prevent the fabric from tearing.

Don't pull so hard that you stretch it out!

Step 3:

Cut the bottom of the shirt following the seam. After that stretch the fabric like you previously did with the sleeves.

Step 4:

Flip your shirt over so that the back is facing you. Now cut the back straps thinner than the front so that you can create the razor back in the final steps.

Be careful not to cut the front straps!

Now take the piece that you cut off on the first side and use it as a guide for the second side.

Step 5:

To create the razor back effect you can cut this piece of fabric from the hem of the shirt off, or braid together some wool and use that.

If you use this piece instead of the wool you will put the two straps together and wrap this piece of fabric around the straps beginning with a knot and wrapping it around until you get to the bottom then ending with another knot.

On my shirt I used braided wool because I thought it would be cool to incorporate other faction colours into the shirt. I braided together a red, grey and black piece of wool for amity, abnegation and dauntless. I chose to use these faction colours because when I took an aptitude test online I had an aptitude for those three factions. 

If you use the wool you begin with a knot, wrap the wool around the straps and then end it in a knot just like you would have with the fabric.

Step 6:

This is the fun part! Now you get to paint your faction symbol onto the front of the shirt. I chose to use the dauntless symbol because as mentioned above I had an aptitude for it, but if I had to choose which faction to join, it would be dauntless.

Begin by deciding where you want to place the symbol and then put cardboard into the shirt, leaving the top side facing up. Secure the shirt in place on the cardboard with paper clips or pins.

 Now begin outlining your symbol with a sharpie either free hand or tracing. I cut the circle out and traced around it for the outside of the symbol but then did free hand for the flames.

After you have the outline of your symbol on your shirt begin to paint it on using your fabric paint and sponge brush (sorry I don't have any pictures of this part. I got too caught up in the painting forgot to take some haha).

After you have painted the symbol wait for the paint to dry before moving onto the next step!

Step 7:

Are you using a black shirt and black paint? Can't see your design? No problem! Bleach is now your best friend. 

Be cautious while using bleach!!!

Make sure the paint is dry, I waited an hour and a half so that I knew it would be completely dry. 

Now get a jar or container and some bleach that you dilute with water. Take a paint brush and brush bleach around the flames in the circle and on around the circle on the outside. The bleaching takes the colour out of the shirt and it will make the symbol stand out more. Black shirts will take on an orange/red colour after bleaching. I also added some bleach randomly to other spots on the front of the shirt just to create a more vintage feel to the shirt.

This is what the shirt looked like seconds after applying bleach.

Now you have to wash the bleach out of your shirt. Fill a sink (preferably a laundry tub if you have one) with warm water and laundry soap.

After you have washed the shirt long enough that the colour doesn't come off as much as when you began washing rinse it out and try to get all or as much of the soap out. Now let the shirt dry and you're all done!!!

Front

Back

PS: you may want to wash this shirt separate from other clothes for the first few washes so that no bleach comes off onto your other clothes.

Now just enjoy your new shirt :), if anyone has any post requests just leave them in the comments!