One of the top items on our bucket list this summer was tie dying shirts. I have made tie dye shirts in the past, but doing it with my kids is another experience. It is still fun, but trying to keep everything tidy was a bit challenging. Learn how to tie dye with kids + a bunch of great tips, tricks, and tie dye patterns and instructions! I must say that we will do this again, and maybe do a tie or socks.
Items you will need:
- white shirt or whatever article of clothing you want to tie dye
- rubber bands
- plastic wrap or gallon size bag
- gloves
- bottle
- dye colors
- We used a plastic tablecloth to protect our table
How to tie your tie die shirt & patterns
Have you ever wondered how they get the cool patterns on the shirts? It is all about the way you tie the shirt. There are a few ways you can tie your shirt. In this tutorial you will see the swirl method and the bullseye method.
For the swirl method you will need to pick the point of where you want the swirl. Pinch that section and twist your shirt in a circle to make a swirl. Use 3-4 rubber bands to keep your shirt swirled. Use the different colors to die the sections of your shirt. Once you have dyed the shirt the way you’d like, wrap it in plastic wrap or put it in a gallon size bag to dry.
For the bullseye method you will need to pick the places you want the bullseye. In this tutorial we picked 3 different places. Pinch that section and use a rubber band to secure it. Use another rubber band a few inches down. Use a third rubber band a few inches down from your second one. This will make the bullseye look.
Repeat this on the other locations you want the bullseye on. Once you have dyed the shirt the way you’d like, wrap it in plastic wrap or put it in a gallon size bag to dry.
Here are some other blogs we got our design inspiration from.
Favcrafts Bullseye Tie-dye Technique
Worth it Events Tie Dye Shirts
What dye to use on a tie die shirt
There are plenty of dyes you can use for this project. We used a kit we purchased at Target. I have also seen this same kit at Walmart. The easiest route to go is getting a kit. Our kit had all the materials needed minus the shirt to complete this project.
How long does it take for it to dry
Leave your shirt for 6-8 hours to let the dye soak in and dry. After 6-8 hours, take the rubber bands off and rinse them. This will get the excess dye off. After that put the shirts in the washer with a small amount of detergent, wash, and let them dry. Now your tie dye shirt is complete.
My kids loved doing this tutorial for you. Please see their video below.
Subscribe to our newsletter!
We hope to connect San Antonio area moms to each other and to our great city! Sign-up to receive our updates on things to do with your kiddos around town, giveaways, events and more!
Disclaimer: The links in this post contain affiliate links. If you click through and buy something I will get a small commission used for keeping the blog up and running smoothly.
