Tie Dye Pinwheel Design Instructions

Create a classic pinwheel tie dye design right from home.

Tie dyeing can enhance any fabric or clothing article that you have. Although it's been around for centuries, tie dyeing became popular with American youth during the 1960s. A look that's always fun and in style, you don't have to pay extra money for a pre-tie dyed T-shirt when you can simply make it yourself. One of the most popular styles of tie-dye, the pinwheel, is also one of the easier tie dye designs you can create.

Things You'll Need

• Latex or rubber gloves
• Fabric
• Rubber bands
• 1 cup soda ash fixer
• Large bucket
• 1 gallon warm water
• 1 tablespoon urea, per color
• Small bowl, per color
• 1 cup water, per color
• 2 to 8 teaspoons of dye
• Squirt bottles, one for each dye color
• Plastic bag
• 1/4 cup of mild detergent

Instructions

1. Put on a pair of rubber or latex gloves to protect your hands from the chemicals and dyes you'll be working with.

2. Lay your fabric or garment on a flat surface. Pinch the middle of the fabric with your fingers, then twist the fabric until it forms a wheel.

3. Tie the fabric with rubber bands so the fabric will keep the wheel shape. The rubber bands will also serve as a "pie piece" grid so you know where to apply the dye. The more rubber bands you use, the more colors you'll be able to add.

4. Pour 1 cup of soda ash fixer into a large bucket. Fill the bucket with 1 gallon of warm water.

5. Place your rubber banded fabric into the soda ash solution for five to 15 minutes. Remove the items after the soaking time is up, and squeeze out excess liquid.

6. Pour 1 tablespoon of urea into a small bowl. Add 1 cup of water to the urea. Then, pour your dye into the mixture; you can use up to 8 teaspoons of dye with 1 tablespoon of urea and 1 cup of water. Keep in mind, you'll need an additional 1 tablespoon of urea, 1 cup of water, a small bowl and 2 to 8 teaspoons of dye for each color you're using.

7. Pour each dye color into its own squirt bottle.

8. Squirt each color of dye onto the fabric, using the pie pieces as your grid for apply color. You can alternate colors, apply a different color to each pie piece or design the fabric any way you'd like.

9. Place the dyed fabric into a plastic bag, and place a rubber band around the bag opening to seal it. This will help to keep the fabric damp and allow the colors to brighten. Leave the fabric in the bag for 24 hours. For lighter, pastel colors, only leave the fabric in the bag for four hours.

10. Fill up your washing machine with hot water. Mix in one-fourth cup of mild detergent.

11. Rinse off the fabric prior to washing it under cold water. Then, remove or cut off the rubber bands and rinse the water under warm water. When the water runs clear, place the fabric into the washing machine, leaving the garment in the washing machine for the full cycle.

12. Dry your garment in the dryer or hang to dry.

References

• Dharma Trading Co.: Tie-Dye Basics
• Paula Burch: How to Tie Dye - Complete Instructions