Whether you are looking for ideas on saving your stained white shirts from throwing them away or having too many blank shirts that need a touch of your personality, here is your solution: learn how to tie dye shirts. The process is quite simple and entertaining for a couple of hours tops. This style has been trending on and off since the 60s and reached its prime in 2020 when people started to have some fun in the pandemic. Not being able to maintain their daily routines while quarantined, this fun and productive idea to dye shirts or blankets have conquered many hearts. This style can bring joy and happiness while reminding everyone that life should not be boring in neutral colors.
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Gather Everything You Need
You may already have everything you need except for the dye. You can go for a professional tie-dye kit or use food coloring. They both do the same job, but the professional paint is known to be more long-lasting and to maintain its color intensity over more washes. You can find different tie-dye kits in most craft stores or hypermarkets. Besides the paint, you will need a pair of gloves, a plastic bottle with a squeeze cap, some rubber bands or zip ties, large resealable bags, and the shirts you want to dye. Before starting the process, keep in mind that cotton is the perfect fabric for tie dye shirts. If the blank shirts you are looking for to dye are made using a combination of cotton and polyester, with more than 20% polyester, it is recommended not to dye them because they do not take paint as well as cotton does. Also, it is advised to use blank shirts for a bright shade intensity, primarily white or light pastel shades.
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Prepare Your Space
The process of dyeing fabrics can cause quite a mess, and this is why you have to prepare the area in which you are planning on doing it. If you live in a house with a yard, it is best to do it outside because it will be easier to clean. If you are doing it inside, put some plastic bags around to prevent staining your floors. Also, just in case, it is best to wear some old clothes you do not care about if some dye gets splattered on them. Once the area has been prepared, you are ready to move forward.
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Soak It First
Most professionals recommend soaking the fabrics you want to dye before starting the process. In this way, any residue or grease stuck in the material is eliminated. Some tie-dye kits come with a particular degreasing solution based on caustic soda, but if you do not have such a solution, you can also use a combination of one part water and one part vinegar. You will have to let it soak for at least one hour to ensure the fabric is thoroughly clean of impurities, so there will not be any spots in which the dye will not stick.
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Tie Your Shirt
There are different methods to tie your shirt to dye it. Depending on the type of pattern you want, you may choose one of them. If you bought a tie dye kit, read the instructions carefully and check to see if there are any indications in the brochure on how to tie it according to the desired pattern. The swirl and bullseye techniques are the most used ones in this process. Once you have figured out which way to tie your shirt and secure it with the rubber bands or zip ties, you are ready to move forward to the dying process.
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Dye and Set Your Blank T-Shirts
To tie dye shirts is easy, and now you only have to apply the desired colors thoroughly on all secured sections of your t-shirts, blank shirts, etc . Once it seems uniformly spread, it is time to let the paint set. You can place your item in a large resealable bag or put some plastic wrap around it. Remember that the longer you let it soak in the paint, the more vivid the shades will be. If you do not care for intense colors and would instead look for a pastel look, you can leave it to sit for a couple of hours. If you want brighter shades, at least eight hours is recommended to leave your not-anymore blank shirts to soak.
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Rinse The Excess
After time has passed and your shirts look brightly colored, it is time to put on the gloves again and rinse them thoroughly. Put your shirts in the sink or bathtub and rinse with cold water. When there is no color coming out, that’s the moment to stop rinsing. Throw your dyed items in the washing machine on a cold cycle. It is best not to mix them with other clothes, in case there is some paint coming out. Once your tie dye shirts are washed, you can dry them on a hanger or in the dryer, and they are ready to be worn and impress people around.
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Do It Again
After you first try to tie dye shirts and the result is unsatisfactory, you can try again on the same shirt. Make sure to secure it the same way you did the first time, or if you want to go for a bolder design, try a different pattern and repeat the entire process. Make sure to let it soak well before starting to apply the paint. Once you dye it, let it be at least eight hours to ensure that the colors will not turn out faded and washed out. To tie dye shirts or any other items is an easy and fun process to do in a couple of hours, and it can also be productive while saving your most beloved white cotton shirts. You can try this process on different items, such as blankets or cotton joggers, and hoodies. You can make your own beautifully colored outfit to match the shirt you just painted. This DIY activity lets you get as creative as you wish to be, so you might as well enjoy the challenge and put some effort into creating fantastic clothing items.
Greetings, dear readers! I am Rohini. As a proud contributor to the Worthview blog, I am excited to bring you insights into the realms of fashion, beauty, and health. Let’s embark on this adventure together, where my words become a bridge between my world and yours. I look forward to our shared journey of discovery and connection.
