There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions (opens in new tab) and Privacy Policy (opens in new tab) and are aged 16 or over.Learning how to tie dye t-shirts with things in your household is not only a fun craft and activity to get stuck into over the weekend but it’s also a great way to re-use old clothes and turn them into something you’d wear again. Tie dyeing t-shirts is one of those crafty fashion trends that always come back into style every couple of years. The versatility of the print and the many ways that you can tie dye t-shirts yourself makes it an appealing craft project for beginners (opens in new tab) as well. We've created this step-by-step guide to help you create your own unique tie dye patterns on t-shirts, but the same techniques can be used on all sorts of fabrics and clothes. From socks to jeans, old white shirts and all sorts of home furnishings like cushion covers or dip dye napkins. How to tie dye t-shirtsTo tie dye t-shirts, you will need:
And these added extras will help to create even more unusual designs with your tie dye:
There are loads of ways to create different patterns when tie-dyeing, most methods use string or elastic bands to fold and shape the fabric before applying the dye. Take a look at our step-by-step instructions to create your own psychedelic designs or bold patterns. How to tie dye a spiral t-shirt1. Start by twisting the centre of the t-shirt or fabric into a spiral shape. 2. Keep squashing the t-shirt into the spiral shape, eventually gathering all the fabric into one big, tight spiral ball. 3. Using either string or elastic bands, gather the spiralled t-shirt together into six sections - you can add more sections if you're using more than three colours. 4. Now it's time to tie dye! Place the spiralled t-shirt into the bowl and apply your chosen dyes - for this project we used Dylon's Sunflower Yellow, Paradise Blue and Passion Pink dyes. We've chosen to only dye every other stringed-off section to leave some of the white t-shirt on show, but it's up to you how you decide to dye your t-shirt. Allow the dye to soak in following the manufacturer's instructions. Rinse off with cold water and then it's ready for washing. Watch our step-by-step video on how to tie dye:How to tie dye a chevron stripe t-shirt1. Begin by folding your t-shirt lengthways in a concertina pattern. We folded our t-shirt into five, but you can fold as many times as you want. The fewer the folds, the fewer chevrons. 2. Using an erasable pen, or a pen in a similar colour to your fabric dye, draw diagonal lines across the t-shirt every 10cm. Again, you can increase this measurement for wider stripes. 3. With elastic bands or string, tie the t-shirt up in the direction of the diagonal lines. Gather the material up tightly to make sure no dye can soak in underneath the string. 4. Continue tying up the t-shirt along the diagonal lines along the entire length of the t-shirt until it looks like this. 5. Place the tied up t-shirt in a large dish ready for dying. Using two colours of your pre-mixed dye, apply each colour to every other stripe. We used Tulip Red and Ocean Blue for this project. 6. Once tie dyed, leave the dye to soak in for as long as the manufacturer advises. We wanted a faded, nineties look for this top so we only left the dye on for five hours. Then rinse with cold water until the water runs clear and it's ready for washing. How to tie dye a circle t-shirt1. Begin by tugging up small sections of the t-shirt between your thumb and forefinger. Using an elastic band or a piece of string, wrap around the circular section tightly and knot to secure in place. 2. Continue tying off the circles all over the t-shirt like this. 3. Fill a deep dish with the pre-mixed blue dye and dunk your tied t-shirt in the mixture. For this project we used Dylon's Ocean Blue dye. 4. Keep pushing the t-shirt down into the dye until it's completely covered. Leave to sit for about five minutes. 5. Remove the t-shirt from the dye solution and wring out any of the excess dye. Wrap the t-shirt in a piece of cling film and place it on a microwavable plate. Microwave on a high setting for about 1 minute. The heat will help the dye take to the t-shirt and means less waiting around. Rinse in cold water until the water runs clear and it's ready for washing. How to tie dye with ice1. Start by stacking your wire rack over the top of your dyeing dish. 2. Scrunch up your damp t-shirt and top with a big handful of ice evenly spread out. 3. Using the powdered dyes, sprinkle directly on top of the ice and t-shirt. For this project we used Dylon's Sunflower Yellow, Paradise Blue and Passion Pink dyes. 4. Put the dish to one side and let the dyes soak in as the ice slowly melts. You'll see the colours deepen and run with the ice. Leave the colours to develop and dye for 24 hours. You might wish to rotate the t-shirt part way through and top with more ice and dye powder for greater coverage. Rinse with cold water until the water runs clear and the t-shirt is then ready for washing. How to tie dye t-shirts with food colouringIf you don't have any dye at home you can also use food colouring to tie dye t-shirts. But, because food colouring is an acid-based dye, you need to use clothing that is NOT made from plant-based fabrics like cotton and linen. Instead, use a polyester item of clothing.
How to make pastel tie dyeAn easy way to create a pastel colour when tie dyeing is to simply dilute the dye with more warm water or to leave the dye soaking into the fabric for a shorter period of time. However this can create a faded look to your item of clothing so, unless you want a t-shirt that looks like it's a genuine vintage piece from back in the day, opt for an ombre pattern to make a pastel tie dye look.
How to wash tie dye t shirtsLearning how to tie dye t shirts is loads of fun and you can pretty much do it with any item of clothing – like baby grows, socks, jeans or even other materials, like towels and table cloths. However, there comes a time when all these things have to be washed, and that’s when problems can happen. You don’t want your fresh tie-dye pattern disintegrating in the wash, or even worse, the dye moving onto other clothes. Here’s how to wash tie dye in five simple steps…
After these steps, you can wash it in the machine but be sure not to wash the material on too high a temperature for the first couple of washes. |