Tie-Dye T-Shirt Pattern Instructions

Update an old shirt with a creative tie-dye design.

Tie-dye is a funky pattern of color that you create by inhibiting dye from reaching some areas of a T-shirt while allowing the dye to reach other areas. Any areas that the dye is inhibited from reaching will stay a light color. The gradations in tie-dye color range from rich to light and create striking designs. Once you understand how to tie-dye a T-shirt, you can use the techniques on other items such as pants, shorts and hats to update their look. There are a few ways to tie-dye a T-shirt.

Things You'll Need

• T-shirt
• Dyes
• Newspaper or plastic garbage bags
• Gloves
• Dust mask
• Soda ash
• Bucket
• Clothespin
• Rubber bands or string
• Squeeze bottles
• Spray bottle
• Concentrated surfactant detergent

Instructions

Prep Work

1. Choose a light colored T-shirt unless you have selected dyes designed to work on dark colored shirts. T-shirts that are 100 percent cotton, rayon, linen or a blend of these fibers work best. Avoid nylon and polyester.

2. Select one to three colors of dye. A general rule to follow is to use colors that follow each other on the coloring wheel. For example, use colors such as red with orange and yellow. If you want the tie dye design to have earthy shades, use colors that are opposite on the color wheel. If the T-shirt is already colored, choose dyes that work with that color. Remember that the dyes mix with the original color on the shirt. For example, if you have a red shirt and use blue dye, the result is purple.

3. Wash the T-shirt in a normal wash cycle and spin or wring it out.

4. Protect the area that you are working on with layers of newspaper or large plastic garbage bags. Don gloves to protect your hands from dyes and wear a dust mask.

5. Pour 1 cup of soda ash per gallon of water into a plastic bucket. Soda ash, also known as sodium carbonate, is a chemical that allows the fabric to retain the dye.

6. Soak the T-shirt until it's saturated (about five to 15 minutes) in the bucket of soda ash solution. Wring out the T-shirt to remove the excess soda ash.

Spiral Pattern

1. Lay your T-shirt on the table and run your hand over it to remove the wrinkles.

2. Create a small pleat directly across from where you want the center of the design to be.

3. Hold the center of this pleat with a clothespin and twist the rest of the fabric like you are turning a doorknob so it forms a tight roll. Pull the ends of the T-shirt so that they face the same direction of the twisted roll. Secure the twists and the ends of the shirt with rubber bands or strings so they form a criss-cross.

4. Prepare the dye according to the instructions. Pour it into a squeeze bottle. Apply the dye to the T-shirt by allowing it to drip from the bottle. Allow the dye to set as long as recommended. Some dyes may need to be rinsed right away while others may need a few hours. If the item dries out while the dye is setting, wet it with a spray bottle.

5. Remove the rubber bands or string. Rinse the T-shirt in cold water. Use concentrated surfactant detergent to wash out excess dye.

Marble Tie-Dye Pattern

1. Crumple up the T-shirt in any random way until you have a small bundle. Tie string or rubber bands around the shirt in random directions. The width of the rubber bands will determine how wide the marble designs will be.

2. Soak the T-shirt in a bucket of hot water. Pour the dye in the bucket. Hold the T-shirt in the water and roll the shirt around in the bucket.

3. Remove the rubber bands or string. Rinse the shirt in cold water.

4. Use concentrated surfactant detergent to wash out excess dye.

Tips & Warnings

• Each time that you tie-dye an object, even if you use the same technique and dyes, the results will vary.

• Wash the containers that you used with hot water and soap immediately to remove any dyes from them.

References

• Fun Room: Cold Water Tie Dye