Looking to add a pop of color to your summer wardrobe? Now, is your chance! We highlighted bleach tie-dye in our previous blog, but for this one, we’ve gathered 3 groovy designs to share with you involving traditional tie-dyeing.

Though we won’t go too in-depth on the basics of tie-dying, we do want to note a few key steps that should never be overlooked:

  1. To prevent color bleeding, be sure to pre-soak your garment in soda ash 15 minutes before the dyeing process (Mix one cup of soda ash per two gallons of water).
  2. After the pre-soak, simply apply the dye and let sit for at least eight hours, and then place it in a large ziplock bag to prevent it from drying out.
  3. After the dyeing process, be sure to remove rubber bands and rinse with cold water. Once you rinse, it’s time to wash it in hot water using a small amount of regular detergent (repeat as needed, or until the shirt stops bleeding dye). Finally, you will air dry the garment, this will prevent any shrinkage. 

With that in mind, let’s look into some of the unique design options! 

Thanks to Sarah Maker’s blog we were able to not only highlight a few designs but also offer helpful guides to go along with them. ⬇️ 

The Spiral

This design is a classic—perfect for starters! Start by pinching a small section in the center of your shirt. Hold onto that section as you twist the shirt clockwise, be sure to keep the spiral flat on the surface. When your shirt starts to form a spiral shape, secure it with 3-4 rubber bands as shown below. Now, it’s time to apply the colored dye—we recommend giving each section a different color for the best results!

(https://sarahmaker.com/tie-dye-patterns/)

The Crumple Method

If you are looking for a more simple design, this one’s for you! The technique explains itself in its name, you simply crumple the shirt up in no particular order and wrap it up with several rubber bands. The tighter you secure the bands, the more white there will be in the final product.

(https://sarahmaker.com/tie-dye-patterns/)

Mandala, also known as, Kaleidoscope

Are you up for a challenge? This design is a bit more difficult compared to the others. However, it is one of the coolest effects that can be made through tie-dye– trust us, it’s worth it! Fold the shirt in half lengthwise, then in half again widthwise (the shirt should be folded into quarters at this point, refer to the top left photo shown down below). Now, fold the shirt in half along the diagonal line (it should now be folded in eighths). Once more, you will fold it on the diagonal line as shown in the second photo (it should now be in sixteenths). If you have made it this far—congrats, the hard part is over! Finally, secure the shirt in rubber bands and add the dye.

(https://sarahmaker.com/tie-dye-patterns/)

Now, I’m sure you are dyeing to show off your new tie-dye gear, so we will wrap this up! Remember to patronize Sarah Maker’s blog as a thank you and to see more awesome designs like these.

➡️In our next blog, we will take a break from tie-dye and move on to vinyl. Have you ever wanted to create your own graphic on a T-shirt? Well, we’ll show you how!