How to Tie Dye Long Sleeve Shirts
Buy bottles of dye at your local fabric or craft store., Read your tie-dye instructions to see if you need to use soda ash to fix the dye, or if it can be used without soaking., Lay a plastic drop cloth on your table., Practice the wrapping process...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Buy bottles of dye at your local fabric or craft store.
Bottles are much easier to use than mixed dye, because you can apply them more exactly to sections of the shirt.
If you want a rainbow tie-dye shirt, look for a kit that contains all the shirts you need. -
Step 2: Read your tie-dye instructions to see if you need to use soda ash to fix the dye
Purchase soda ash, or washing soda that is made of sodium carbonate.
Purchase rubber bands. , It will protect the table, but it also allows the t-shirt to be wrapped more easily.
Keep a plastic bag and a bucket nearby so that you can transport your shirt to the laundry room. , Then, you can repeat with a shirt soaked in soda ash and water. , Move the tips of the long sleeves so that they are gathered next to the body of the shirt.
Try to keep them close if you want them to form a pattern with the rest of the shirt.
Keep them separate if you want a different pattern on the sleeves than the body of the tee. , Pinch the shirt in the middle of that line, in the center of the chest. , The shirt will start to form a spiral.
Use your other hand to continue twisting the shirt. , This means that you will create extra lines, or folds, in the shirt between each turn. ,, Take rubber bands and open them with your hands.
Slide them under and over the circle until they are tight on opposite ends.
Avoid picking the shirt bundle up, since it can change the shape you’ve created.
Instead, slide the rubber bands across the drop cloth. , Then, do diagonal lines.
The end result will look like it has several pizza slices.,,, Apply just enough dye to soak the fabric in a pie slice-section, but not to create excess dye on your drop cloth.
When in doubt, use less dye. , You can also alternate colors to create a color-blocked spiral.
Repeat until you’ve dyed all the pie sections. , Repeat the process of applying bottle dye to each section.
Match up the right color from the front with the color on the back. , Let it sit according to the dye instructions. , Remove the rubber bands. , Do not use soap. , It will help to set the dye further.
Your shirt is ready to wear or wash as desired. -
Step 3: or if it can be used without soaking.
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Step 4: Lay a plastic drop cloth on your table.
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Step 5: Practice the wrapping process while the shirt is dry.
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Step 6: Smooth out the shirt on the plastic drop cloth.
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Step 7: Find the imaginary line that connects the two armpits through the center of the shirt.
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Step 8: Twist the shirt.
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Step 9: Feather the shirt before you finish your round spiral.
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Step 10: Make sure that the long sleeves travel along the length of the body as you make your spiral.
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Step 11: Stop when you’ve made a tight spiral that is in the shape of a circle.
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Step 12: Secure the circle with rubber bands going perpendicular.
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Step 13: Repeat with a shirt soaked in a mixture of soda ash and water.
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Step 14: Put on some food preparation gloves before you start to handle the dye.
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Step 15: Tip the first dye bottle upside down.
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Step 16: Follow with colors of the rainbow to blend.
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Step 17: Flip the shirt over onto its backside.
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Step 18: Place the shirt inside a plastic bag.
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Step 19: Soak the shirt in cold water after it has sat for enough time.
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Step 20: Run the shirt through two cold water cycles in the washing machine.
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Step 21: Place it in the dryer on medium heat.
Detailed Guide
Bottles are much easier to use than mixed dye, because you can apply them more exactly to sections of the shirt.
If you want a rainbow tie-dye shirt, look for a kit that contains all the shirts you need.
Purchase soda ash, or washing soda that is made of sodium carbonate.
Purchase rubber bands. , It will protect the table, but it also allows the t-shirt to be wrapped more easily.
Keep a plastic bag and a bucket nearby so that you can transport your shirt to the laundry room. , Then, you can repeat with a shirt soaked in soda ash and water. , Move the tips of the long sleeves so that they are gathered next to the body of the shirt.
Try to keep them close if you want them to form a pattern with the rest of the shirt.
Keep them separate if you want a different pattern on the sleeves than the body of the tee. , Pinch the shirt in the middle of that line, in the center of the chest. , The shirt will start to form a spiral.
Use your other hand to continue twisting the shirt. , This means that you will create extra lines, or folds, in the shirt between each turn. ,, Take rubber bands and open them with your hands.
Slide them under and over the circle until they are tight on opposite ends.
Avoid picking the shirt bundle up, since it can change the shape you’ve created.
Instead, slide the rubber bands across the drop cloth. , Then, do diagonal lines.
The end result will look like it has several pizza slices.,,, Apply just enough dye to soak the fabric in a pie slice-section, but not to create excess dye on your drop cloth.
When in doubt, use less dye. , You can also alternate colors to create a color-blocked spiral.
Repeat until you’ve dyed all the pie sections. , Repeat the process of applying bottle dye to each section.
Match up the right color from the front with the color on the back. , Let it sit according to the dye instructions. , Remove the rubber bands. , Do not use soap. , It will help to set the dye further.
Your shirt is ready to wear or wash as desired.
About the Author
Tyler Robinson
Specializes in breaking down complex crafts topics into simple steps.
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