You can tie dye T-shirts, skirts, dresses, pants, socks, cloth fabric purses, sheets, curtains and anything else you can think of. The instructions below are written with a T-shirt in mind.
Courtesy of Flicker commons: psd
Your Supplies
- An old bucket or other container with a capacity of between 3 to 5 gallons. It is best to use a container you don't mind getting stained.
- Rubber gloves to keep from staining your hands
- Long handled utensil or BBQ fork or tongs will do fine
- Plastic squirt bottle for applying dye
- Salt
- Plastic garbage bag to protect work area
- News paper
- Powder cleanser for cleaning spilled dye
- Paper towels or rags for quick clean up
- Baking soda
The kind of dye you decide to use will depend on which of the above items you will need. Read the directions on the dye box and follow them very carefully.
Method
- Have your design already in mind before you begin.
- Cover your work area with plastic garbage bags and then cover the plastic with newspapers for best protection.
- lay your garment as flat as possible before you begin.
- Wear rubber gloves and prepare your dye exactly as directed by the manufacturer.
Remember to follow dying directions carefully. If the proper method is not taken it could result in bleeding, running, or fading of colours. The clothing you decide to dye should be washed before you begin whether the garment is old or new. Using cotton material will give best results.
Instructions for a Spiral Design
- Lay the garment flat and pinch up a bit of material between your thumb and finger where you want the center of the spiral to begin. Begin twisting the garment starting with the material you pinched up. Keep twisting until the garment is completely twisted up and it looks like a fat circle. Tuck in any loose ends.
- Now take 3 or 4 rubber bands. Put the first rubber band around the circle of shirt from one side to the other so it crosses the center. Take the remaining bands and do the same thing, crossing the bands over each other in the center of the circle. When you are finished the garment should look like a pie cut into wedges.
- Use the squeeze bottles to apply dye to each of the pie shaped areas. Apply the same colour dye to the top triangle as you do to the bottom adjoining triangle.
- Read the dye instructions for how to treat your finished garment.
- Add a half cup of salt or a half cup of vinegar to a cold water wash for the first three or four washings unless otherwise directed by the dye manufacturer.
