How to Make a Tie-Dyed Heart Shirt
Tie-dying first originated centuries ago in China and Japan, where silk pieces were elaborately dyed into different designs. Today, tie-dyeing is used around the world to create simple or elaborate designs and shapes onto almost any fabric or piece, from t-shirts to a baby's blanket. Tie-dying a heart onto a t-shirt can be accomplished by even the most novice crafter without the need for specialized equipment.
Things You'll Need
- Plastic tarp
- 1 cup soda ash
- Water
- Plastic buckets
- Marker
- Needle and thread
- Rubber bands
- Tie-dye mix
- Rubber gloves
- Face mask
- Old clothing
- Zippered plastic bag
Instructions
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1
Lay a plastic tarp on a flat surface, such as the ground outdoors, a workbench or kitchen table. This will be your work area. Create a mixture of one cup soda ash (also called washing soda), which can be purchased in the grocery store's laundry aisle, and one gallon water in a plastic bucket.
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2
Soak the item that will be tie-dyed in the soda ash mixture approximately 20 minutes.
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3
Remove the item from the soda ash wash and wring out as much liquid as possible.
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4
Lay the item on the plastic tarp. Draw raw a heart with a marker. The heart can be anywhere on the piece, such as in the center or off to the side, depending upon your preference.
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5
Stitch along the line of the heart with a needle and thread. This will create an outline of the heart that will not allow any dye to be absorbed.
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6
Gather the area of the fabric that contains the heart. Hold this piece together with a rubber band. The rubber band will allow you to more easily make any adjustments on the piece during dyeing.
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7
Prepare the tie-dye according to the package directions. Make sure to wear rubber gloves, a facemask and old clothing when preparing and using the dye.
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8
Dip the area that contains the heart into the dye. The amount of dye used and the time the area is allowed to soak in the dye will determine the depth of color.
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9
Squeeze out any excess dye from this area and continue to dye the rest of the piece until the desired shade is reached.
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10
Place the dyed piece in a plastic zippered bag and allow it to sit for 24 to 48 hours. This will allow the dye to set into the fabric more effectively.
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11
Remove the piece from the plastic bag and rinse it out thoroughly with cool water. Continue to rinse the piece until the water runs clear.
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12
Remove the rubber bands and pull out the string to reveal your newly heart dyed piece.
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