How to Tie Dye a Shirt With White & Pink Spirals

You can make your own spiral tie-dye design.

Made fashionable by youth during the '60s and '70s, tie-dye was an expression of the desire for peace, equality and low cost clothing. Tie-dye originates from Indian and Japanese methods of binding fabric for the purpose of dyeing it to create colorful designs. You can tie-dye your own shirt by using these same methods. If you are unsure about what pattern to make and colors to use, start with a simple design, such as spirals created with pink and white dye.

Things You'll Need

• Pink dye
• White Dye
• T-shirt
• Spray bottle
• Paint tray

Instructions

Preparing the Shirt

1. Lay your shirt on a flat surface, either on a table or on the floor. Make sure it's on a surface that you don't care about soiling.

2. Mist water on the shirt with a small spray bottle. This will help the shirt maintain its form when you start applying dye to it. Spray both the front and back until all areas of the shirt are damp. Spread the shirt out again with the front facing you.

3. Pinch a piece of cloth in the middle of the shirt between your thumb and index fingers. Twist the fabric slightly in any direction until a pattern that resembles a sun forms on the shirt. Continue twisting the shirt until all of the fabric coils into a round bundle.

4. Spray more water on the bundled up shirt. Smooth any protruding fabric into the bundle with your hands.

5. Wrap a rubber band horizontally around the perimeter of the shirt bundle. Wrap another rubber band vertically around the bundle so that it crosses over the previously placed rubber band. Wrap a third rubber band vertically over the second band so that the bands form a cross on the top and bottom flat surfaces of the bundle.

Applying The Dye

1. Fill two large bowls halfway with clothing dye, one with pink and the other with white. The bowls should be large enough to set your shirt bundle in. Place a large paint tray on the table to hold your shirt after its dyed.

2. Dip the short side of your shirt bundle into the pink dye. The dye should only cover half of the bundle. If it doesn't, add more dye. Leave the bundle in the dye for about 10 minutes.

3. Dip the other short end of the shirt bundle into the white dye. Let it soak on the other side for another 10 minutes.

4. Remove the shirt from the dye and place it on the paint tray. Leave the shirt bundle on the tray for a few minutes to allow the dye to completely soak in.

5. Remove all of the rubber bands from the shirt and open it up. Your shirt should have a pink and white spiral pattern on it. Spray cool water all over the shirt to set the dye. Hang the shirt to dry. Once it dries, iron it with an iron set on its highest temperature to seal in the color and make it last longer.

Tips & Warnings

• If you use a white shirt, you do not have to use white paint. Simply dip both short ends of the shirt bundle into pink dye and you will still get a white and pink spiral design.

References

• All About Hand Dyeing: How Do You Tie Dye a Spiral Pattern
• Expert Village: Basic Spiral Patterns for Tie Dye Shirts