Modern fashion is dominated by tie dye shirts. Everything about these tees and shirts is adorable. Wearing cute tie dye shirts and t-shirts is something to try. If you don’t want to throw away your old T-shirts, you should learn how to tie-dye them so they look and feel new again.
It’s a way to color fabric by folding, twisting, and scrunching it, then tying it tightly with string or rubber bands. The fabric is then dipped in dye. The parts that are twisted and tied won’t get much or any color. When you take off the ties, you’ll see that the way the fabric was folded and tied made it have its own patterns.
You are about to learn how to tie dye shirts in the easiest and most effective way possible in this article. I’m betting you’ll soon be wearing an on-trend tie-dye top. Once you’ve chosen your pattern, you can get started by following the corresponding instructions.
How To Tie Dye Shirts Perfectly
Step 1: Get your supplies together
Most craft stores sell tie-dye kits, but you probably already have everything you need.
- Tie dye kit or various of dye colors
- Water
- White fabric, such as a t-shirt
- Plastic and paper towels, for work surface
- Rubberbands
- Plastic/rubber gloves
- Squeeze bottles
Step 2: Prepare Your Item and Work Space
Cover the whole of your work area with plastic and/or paper towels in order to collect any dye-related messes that may occur. If you want less mess, tie dying is best done outside. If you can, wear old clothing that you do not mind staining.
Step 3: Prepare The Dye
Follow the directions on the dye package to get it ready. You can mix dye in a big pot or bucket, or you can use a plastic squeeze bottle to get the dye where you want it. Most dyes will tell you in their instructions which method is best.
Step 4: Soak Your Shirt
Most people who know about tie-dying say that fabrics should be wet while dying. You can use lukewarm water or a mixture of one part water to one part vinegar for this step. However, many tie-dye kits come with a solution called soda ash solution (start with a cup of each). The clothes should be soaked for an hour.
Step 5: Tie Your Item
Now you need to twist and tie your thing. You can tie different parts of the fabric in a random way or try to make a certain pattern.
For example, to make a spiral pattern with the dye, lay your shirt or t-shirt out completely flat and find its center. Then, use a fork or your fingers to grab the center and twist it until the fabric is rolled into a circle. You can use your rubber bands or string to keep the shirt in this shape. The ties should meet in the middle of the fabric, making an asterisk shape.
Step 6: Start Dying
The item is now ready to be dyed. Either dip it in the dye or use the squeeze bottle to put the dye on. Try to dye the fabric all the way through.
When using more than one color, it’s best to start with the lightest one. Check the instructions from the manufacturer to see how to move on to the next color. You may need to rinse the fabric or let it dry for a while.
Step 7: Let Dye Set
Put your dyed and banded shirt in a big plastic bag with a zip-top and let it sit for at least eight hours. If you soak it longer, the colors will be more vivid and full. Do you like a pastel look? After one to two hours, check the shirt.
Step 8: Rinse And Dry
Put on your gloves again, take the plastic bag off your shirt, and rinse it in cold water until the water runs clear. Then put it through the washing machine’s cold cycle. Make sure to wash it by itself so you don’t get any of your other clothes dirty.
Hang the item to dry, or dry it on the coolest setting of your dryer. Voilá—your work is done!
How To Wash Tie Dye Shirts For The First Time?
Once your tie dye shirt is ready at home, you’re probably thinking of washing it for the first time. Am I right?
No worries! The instructions below will show you how to wash your tie dye shirt or t-shirt easily.
When washing tie-dye for the first time, it is essential that you do it separately from any other items. (With the exception of tie-dyed items, which must be washed separately, even if they are of the same hue) Bleeding color from the cloth may still occur, potentially staining other things in the wash. To begin with, wash the garment alone with some mild detergent.
Hot water washing will set the color in the fabric of the garment. It’s ideal to use the gentle cycle, but you may also use the regular cycle if necessary. Take the clothing out of the washing machine as soon as the cycle is done. Bleeding may also be caused by leaving damp cloth out for too long.
Dry the tie-dyed garment on a hot setting in the dryer. You should do the first wash by yourself, once again. Line drying the garment is acceptable in the absence of a dryer provided that the clothesline is placed in an area that is shielded from direct sunlight.
Tie Dye Caring
Tie-dyed items should be washed separately for the first few washes, since the dye may still leak after the first wash. The initial wash should be done in hot water, but after that, cold water is preferable. The more the garment is agitated in the washing, the more its colors will fade, so utilize the gentle cycle instead. Before washing, flip your tie-dyed clothing inside out to prevent any unwanted bleed through.
Don’t dry your tie-dye clothing in direct sunlight by hanging it on an outdoor clothesline or any other clothesline. Fading of a tie-dye pattern is accelerated by exposure to sunlight.
Keep in mind that mass-produced tie-dye clothes shouldn’t bleed as freshly coloured things would, so you may wash them according to the instructions on the labels. Even store-bought tie-dye needs special attention while washing since it, like other tie-dye materials, is susceptible to fading.