How to Make a Multi-Color Tie-Dye T-Shirt
Tie dyeing t-shirts is a craft that any age group can do. In addition to the basic technique of using one color of fabric dye on the shirt, you can add multiple colors to your design as well. If you control the application of your dye colors with a squeeze bottle, the colors can form an interesting pattern together. You can also blend the colors at the edges to create another color on the shirt.
Things You'll Need
- White cotton t-shirt
- Plastic drop cloth
- Rubber or latex gloves
- Apron
- Fabric dye
- Squeeze bottles
- Plastic bag
Instructions
-
-
1
Wash a white cotton t-shirt at least once. The shirt does not have to be new. It can also be a pale color instead of white. Do not dry the shirt after washing. It must be damp for the tie dyeing.
-
2
Spread a plastic drop cloth on a flat work surface. Spread the damp shirt flat on the drop cloth.
-
-
3
Pinch an area of the shirt to make the damp fabric stand up about an inch. Turn the pinched area like a knob so that the damp shirt spirals around it. Keep turning the shirt until the whole thing is wound around the pinched part. It should look like a giant fabric Danish pastry.
-
4
Wear rubber or latex gloves and an apron to protect you from dye stains.
-
5
Prepare at least two colors of fabric dye according to the manufacturer's directions. Craft stores sell fabric dye specifically for tie dyeing. Pour each color into a plastic squeeze bottle.
-
6
Squirt the first color of dye onto the twisted shirt in a pattern. For example, squeeze a spot of dye in the center of your twisted shirt and make concentric circles around this spot, leaving white space between them. Another example is to make lines radiating from the middle of the twisted shirt to the outer edge. Leave white space between your lines.
-
7
Squeeze a second color of dye into the white spaces you left on the shirt. Try to leave a little white space between the colors to keep them separate. Another idea is to let the colors blend together at the edges. Keep in mind that some colors, when blended, create other colors, such as yellow and blue that make green. Use as many colors as you like, but don't overdo it. Too many colors together look brown or muddy.
-
8
Turn the twisted shirt over and repeat Steps 6 and 7 to make a pattern on the back side.
-
9
Place the shirt, still twisted, into a plastic, zipper-seal bag. Leave it for several hours or overnight so the dye can soak in.
-
10
Launder the shirt by itself to remove excess dye. Do not wash anything else with it in the washer. After the first washing, you can wash it with other colored items. Consult the dye label for specific washing instructions.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Experiment with patterns by scrunching the shirt in different ways. Try twisting the shirt lengthwise or tying it in knots instead of twisting it in a spiral, or you can make several small spirals on the shirt.
References
- Photo Credit Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
