How to Tie Dye: Beginners Guide to Tie Dye Patterns

This is one of the most popular clothes this season. It’s not hard to understand why. This free love-inspired outfit can be paired with any outfit. It will brighten up the room. You can even make them. You can easily create some of the most popular looks on the runways using a few simple items and an afternoon free. Here’s how to dye like a pro if you’re ready for the world.

Tie Dye Essential Products

It’s a great way to spend a day. What you need to start:

Choose the design

This trend is full of possibilities. You can make new tie dye items and create them uniquely with the many designs available. You can choose from the traditional spiral, or you can try out a heart-shaped design. Use a chevron pattern or create a pattern using icing. This project allows you to create something unique and personal.

Prepare the space

It’s a lot of fun to tie-dye clothing, but it can be messy. It is important to use a sheet or towel to protect your surface when setting up. You will also need to have a large dish drainer and a plastic container if you want to make an ice-cream style. Then, prepare the necessary tools and the garment or t-shirt you wish to design.

Tie Dye Patterns

Bullseye Spiral Tie Dye

It’s easy to recreate the spiral tie-dye design. You will need a white tee shirt that has been pre-soaked, rubber bands, and color dye.

1. Spread the T-shirt out flat, with both arms evenly spaced. Find the center of fabric using the armpits and pinch. Start by pinching the center of the tee shirt. Then, start seating the fabric. The more closely the folds are arranged, the less dye and ink will penetrate the fabric.
2. After you have mastered feathering, slide rubber bands on top of the fabric to keep its shape. Place three or four of them in different positions to make the corners look like pizza slices.
3. Then, color in the corner using the ink of your choice. Fill in the remainder of the shape after drawing the outline. Continue to color the remaining sections of the shirt until you have covered it completely. Flip the shirt over, and repeat the process.
4. Wait for 24 hours before removing rubber bands and unfolding fabric. You’re finished when the dye has dried. The T-shirt is ready.

Stripe Dye

Striped patterns are a fun way to dye a shirt. Choose shades such as baby blue, red or pink – they’re great for any wardrobe. You will need a tee-shirt, rubber bands, gloves, a spatula or spoon, a pot and ink. Prepare a dye bath in the color of your choice before you start. Mix the color, water and activator together in a jar.

1. Then soak the T-shirt in water. It is important to wring out the T-shirt so there is no moisture left. Then, gather the fabric at the top. Rubber band it several times to get a series of white stripes.
2. Repeat the steps for the rest of the shirt. Ensure that the rubber bands are evenly distributed on the fabric. You can use different sizes if you prefer varied designs.
3. Immerse the garment in the dye bath that you prepared earlier. Press down with a spoon or spatula to distribute color evenly into the fabric.
4. After an hour, remove the shirt and wash off the excess color. After the dye has been soaked in, remove the T-shirt and wash away the excess color.

Hearts in Tye-Dye

Here’s your chance to show your heart. This adorable and flirty pattern will turn heads and is a perfect choice for casual clothing. This project requires a pre-soaked T-shirt, colored rubber bands, and gloves.

1. Fold the T-shirt in half from the sleeve towards the center. Use a washable pen to trace the half-heart shape on the fabric.
2. Fold the sides of the heart shape by pinching the fabric below the heart. You can take your time and move the shirt as you go around the line. Secure your elastic in the upper half of the fabric.
3. Add some extra elastic on the bottom of the shirt if you want to create more stripes. Start by filling the heart with your dye. You’ll need to be careful to color within the lines in order to keep its shape. Continue applying ink to the remainder of the fabric. Repeat the process on the opposite side.
4. After you have finished dyeing the shirt, place it in a plastic bag. Be careful not to let the colors touch each other, or they could start bleeding. Closing the bag and wrapping the fabric slowly will help to remove any excess air. After about eight hours, rinse in the tub.

Tye-Dye ice cream

Ice Tie Dye is a stylish, colorful and bold design. This T-shirt is made using ice cubes, which are a different method than traditional dyeing. You’ll need to do this outside, as it uses ice to create the design. You’ll need a large container with an elevated dish-drying rack, a t-shirt that has been pre-soaked, dye and ice cubes to get started.

1. Place the T-shirts pre-soaked on the platform and the dish-drying rack. They should look lumpy.
2. Pour the ice over the t-shirts in a cup. Cover them randomly.
3. It’s now time to color the shirt. Pour the colors you want the T-shirt’s color to be onto the ice. Make sure to get enough color into the fabric. Have fun with the designs and patterns! Wear gloves to avoid staining your hands.
4. You can either leave the ice on the shirt overnight or all day. The ice cubes will melt and create a unique pattern. Keep the bottom of your rack covered with a sheet, towel or container to prevent dye and water from leaking.
5. This will help prevent stains on your skin. Allow the tee shirt to air dry for several hours before wearing it.

Chevron Tye-Dye

Shibori or Chevron is one of most stylish and elaborate ways to make a fun T-shirt. Multiple folding creates a zigzag design that you can style with any outfit. You will need a ruler and a pre-soaked t-shirt in white, along with string, washable markers, and dye to create this.

1. Fold your T-shirt in half two times. Draw diagonal lines using a washable pen and a ruler. As you move down, make sure the lines are even.
2. Grab the top corner of the shirt where the marker starts. Gather the fabric slowly along the line, until you reach the bottom. Tie the piece together with a rubber band or string.
3. Repeat this process for each line you draw on the shirt until the fabric is finished. Add some more designs to the spaces between the rubber bands for a special touch.
4. Dip each section in the dye. It’s your choice whether you use many colors or only a few. Repeat this process until the entire surface is covered in the desired colors.
5. After a few minutes, rinse off the excess dye. After washing, remove the bands from the tee and unfold it. Watch as the diagonal lines transform into delicious zigzags.

FAQs

What type of paint can you use to color a shirt with?

There are many ways to tie-dye. You can use food dye in addition to fabric and paint dye. You will need to add some drops of food coloring to the dye mixture after mixing it with water. Fill up a separate bottle for every shade that you plan to use. Polyester fabrics will better hold color than plant-based fabrics.

What can I do instead of bleach to tie dye?

Tie-dying has the advantage that you can use household items, such as bleach, to finish your process. White vinegar can be used as an alternative to bleach. It will help the colors to stick. Mix the vinegar and water together, then soak your clothing in the mixture for several hours.

Mixing tie-dye in hot or cold water is a good idea.

Use hot water to rinse your tie-dye. Hot water will also speed up the process, allowing the dye to absorb into the fabric more quickly. Each fabric requires a specific maximum temperature. For example, natural fibres such as cotton, linen, and silk require water between 60-71degC. You can use different methods to dye your clothes. For example, you can ice tie-dye and use cold water to prevent the colors from bleeding.

Can you color something that isn’t white?

If you want to dye something that isn’t pure white, then use bleach on a dark colored garment. You can choose lighter colored clothes and dye them with dark colors, like deep blues or reds.