DIY T-Shirt Prints and Tie-Dyeing
One great trend that has re-emerged in the past few years is tie-dyeing. First popular in the 1960s and 1970s, tie-dye has seen a big comeback thanks to TikTok and influencers. You could spend a lot of money on designer tie-dyed pajama sets and T-shirts, but you can also tie-dye things yourself at home. When you make your own tie-dye clothes, you can create one-of-a-kind prints that use your favorite colors. Many different patterns and techniques can be used when tie-dyeing, so you can make an endless variety of designs. Tie-dyeing is also a great way to upcycle old T-shirts or other fabric items that have been stained and are no longer wearable. It's also a fun craft to do at home!
Tie-Dye Supplies
- Cotton fabric item suitable for dyeing
- Rubber gloves
- Rubber tub
- Dye
- Dye activator
- Rubber bands
- Squeeze bottles
- Laundry detergent
- Bleach
- Plastic drop cloth
- Mask
Basic Steps for How to Tie-Dye
- Gather your supplies.
- Cover the work area with a drop cloth or some plastic garbage bags.
- Thoroughly wet and wring out the item that will be dyed.
- Decide which pattern you'll use. There are many different patterns you can pick when tie-dyeing. Which pattern you choose determines how you'll need to tie up the fabric.
- Follow the directions for the pattern you pick to tie up your fabric with rubber bands.
- Mix the dye following the instructions on the dye box or bottle.
- Submerge the item in the dye.
- Remove the item.
- Let the item sit for up to 24 hours.
- While you're wearing gloves, remove the rubber bands.
- Run the item under cold water until the water runs clear.
- Wash the item in cold water and hang it up to dry.
Additional Resources
- How to Tie-Dye: Easy Techniques for Beginners: Although this tutorial is aimed at beginners, it still has instructions for using multiple colors on the same shirt.
- How to Tie-Dye at Home Like a Pro: Watching an expert use these five tie-dyeing techniques makes it easier for those just learning how to tie-dye to understand how to do it to make cool shirts.
- How to Tie-Dye: Tie-dyeing doesn't have to be limited to shirts! Almost any fabric item can be dyed successfully.
- How to Tie-Dye Three Easy Patterns: Patterns come from the way the cloth is tied before being submerged in the dye, how the fabric is put into the dye, and in what order the dyes are used.
- How to Get the Perfect Tie-Dye Every Time, According to Fashion Designers: It's possible to get a high-end look using tie-dye techniques.
- How to Tie-Dye Shirts: These instructions are great for both parents and kids to understand the basic steps needed to tie-dye a T-shirt.
- How to Tie-Dye With Food Coloring or Frozen Dye: Although you can buy dye at the store, it's also possible to make cool designs with things found in most kitchens.
- Prep, Wash, and Care for Tie-Dye: Successfully dyeing a shirt begins with prepping the shirt to take the dye. Afterward, it's important to properly care for a tie-dyed garment.
- How to Tie-Dye Shirts Like a Pro, Even if It's Your First Time: One of the great things about tie-dyeing is that it lets you upcycle stained shirts into something cool and wearable.
- Tie-Dye Instructions: Rubber bands are a very important part of the tie-dye process.
- How to Galaxy Dye Fabric: Galaxy dyeing is a more advanced technique, but it produces gorgeous shirts!
- Rainbow Galaxy Tie-Dye Towel: Here's a way to get a unique, brilliantly bright beach towel with a great pattern.
- How to Do Different Tie-Dye Patterns: This illustrated guide shows different options for tie-dye patterns.
- Cool Tie-Dye Patterns: It's possible to make a wide range of patterns with just dye and some rubber bands or string.
- Three Colorful Reverse Tie-Dye Patterns You Can Try Out at Home: Reverse tie-dyeing starts by tying up a darker colored shirt and then dipping it in bleach.
- Crumple Tie-Dye: A DIY Project: Crumpling is one of the easiest tye-dyeing methods.
- How to Tie-Dye: The Crumple Method: The video embedded in this step-by-step tutorial helps make the crumple method clear for those new to tie-dyeing.
- DIY Tie-Dye: How to Master Bella Hadid's Favourite Quarantine Trend Yourself: Influencers are one reason that tie-dyed garments have become super-trendy again!
- Best Types of Tie-Dye for DIYing a Tote Bag: Tote bags are great for tie-dyeing.
- DIY Bleach Tie-Dyeing: Bleaching makes for unique, fun tie-dye projects!