How to Tie Dye a Shirt the Quick and Easy Way

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Consider tie-dyeing your shirt using acrylic paint.

   You can tie-dye your shirt using watered-down acrylic paint.
   
   The shirt will need to dry, but once you heat-set it by tossing it into the drier, it will be ready to be worn.
   
   This method is similar to the traditional tie-dying method, but it does not require hot water or as much preparation as the traditional method.
2. 2

   Step 2: Find a white-colored shirt to dye.

   Although this method uses acrylic paints, which are more opaque than fabric dye, you will get the best results with a white or light-colored shirt.
   
   The paint will be watered down, so some of the shirt's original color will show through.
   
   You can tie-dye almost anything, from T-shirts to pants and skirts to even baseball caps. , You will need ½ part fabric textile medium, 1 part paint, and 3 parts water.
   
   Pour everything into a plastic applicator bottle and shake it up to mix everything together.
   
   The fabric textile medium will prevent the paint from becoming too stiff once it has dried.Use a different applicator bottle for each color.
   
   The colors will bleed together, so avoid using contrasting colors such as red and green, blue and orange, and yellow and purple, or you will get some muddy browns in your finished piece!, You can also dip the shirt in some water and twist it tightly to wring all of the excess water out.
   
   You want the shirt to be damp, not soaking-wet. , You can create different patterns depending on how you wrap the rubber bands around your shirt.
   
   Here are a few popular designs:
   Stripes are the easiest and simplest design.
   
   Simply fold your shirt up like a fan or accordion creating a sort of rope.
   
   You can do width-wise, length-wise, or even diagonally.
   
   Wrap a rubber band around one end of your "rope," then wrap another rubber band two to three inches (5.08 to
   7.62 centimeters) down.
   
   Keep doing this until you reach the end of your rope.
   
   The sunburst is a circular design, with each ray or ring being a different color.
   
   Pinch the middle of your shirt and pull it towards you.
   
   Tie the end off with a rubber band.
   
   Go a little further down your shirt and tie it off with another rubber band.
   
   Keep doing this until you have a thick "rope" made out of fabric and rubber bands.
   
   The spiral is another popular design.
   
   Place your shirt down on a flat surface.
   
   Pinch the middle of your shirt and twist it.
   
   Keep twisting until you have created a spiral, or something like looks like a cinnamon roll.
   
   Wrap a large rubber band around the "bun" you have made.
   
   Then wrap another rubber band, but this time in the opposite direction, making a cross shape.
   
   You can wrap more rubber bands around your bun, sectioning it like a pizza or cake. , Work over a container, such as a plastic container or an aluminum tray.
   
   Press the tip of the applicator against the fabric and squeeze gently.
   
   This allows the paint to absorb directly into the fabric as opposed to squirting out everywhere. , Place a wire rack over some paper towels, newspaper, or a baking sheet.
   
   Then, without removing the rubber bands, set the shirt down on the wire rack.This will allow any excess paint to drip down, and prevent it from pooling under your shirt.
   
   Let the shirt sit for one hour, so that the colors can set into the fabric., The shirt should be mostly dry by now, but the center might still be wet.
   
   Hang it up in a sunny spot until it is fully dry.
   
   This will also help relax any wrinkles.
   
   Keep in mind that the cooler or more humid it is, the longer it will take for your shirt to dry. , To make the colors more permanent, toss the shirt into a drier for about 15 minutes.
   
   After this, your shirt is ready to wear and wash.
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   Step 3: Prepare your paint.

4. 4

   Step 4: Lightly mist the shirt with water.

5. 5

   Step 5: Tie rubber bands around the shirt.

6. 6

   Step 6: Apply the colors in the spaces between the rubber bands.

7. 7

   Step 7: Leave the shirt on top of a wire rack and let the colors set.

8. 8

   Step 8: Remove the rubber bands and let the shirt hang dry.

9. 9

   Step 9: Heat set the colors.

Detailed Guide

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