How to Tie-Dye Shirts Using Markers

Tie-dyeing your own T-shirts can turn into a time-consuming and messy pastime. Skip the hassle and create your own retro tie-dye designs in only about 40 minutes to an hour with the help of permanent markers. Shirts tie-dyed with markers are virtually identical to those tie-dyed using traditional methods, so your friends will never tell the difference.

Things You'll Need

• Rubber bands
• White T-shirt
• Permanent markers
• Rubbing alcohol
• Spray bottle or paper towels

Instructions

1. Bunch up several sections of the T-shirt's material and wrap them in rubber bands to offset them from the rest of the shirt. Offset as many or as few sections as you want and can make them as big or as small as you would like. The more sections you bunch, the more intricate your tie-dye design will turn out when you are finished.

2. Color a few bunched sections of fabric at a time with permanent markers, making sure to get color in every groove. Stick to between two and four colors; anything more will cause the colors to run together.

3. Spray the colored sections of fabric lightly with rubbing alcohol using a spray bottle. If you do not have a spray bottle, an alternative method is to blot the fabric with a paper towel dipped in rubbing alcohol.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 several times until you have colored all of the bunched sections. Color about two or three adjacent sections during each repetition.

5. Set the T-shirt aside for approximately 20 minutes.

6. Remove the rubber bands to see the finished result.

7. Iron the T-shirt or tumble-dry it in a hot clothes dryer to set the color.

Tips & Warnings

• Wash your shirt by itself in cold water to prevent the marker from rubbing off onto other garments.

References

• MakingFriends.com: Tie-Dye Socks

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish