Let's Get Crafty - DIY Tie Dye

On the Cover - Mary Caroline Davis submitted by Julie Davis

From Uh Oh to Oh Yeah

Bleach tie-dyed Lake Wedowee Shirt

Story and Pictures by Tracy Carpenter
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OOPS! I did it again! I accidentally splashed bleach on my new Lake Wedowee t-shirt! If you have ever accidentally splashed bleach on your clothes in a cleaning frenzy, then you will be pleased to know that all is not lost. Here's a fun way to hide that bleach stain. Tie-dyeing with bleach. Tie-dyeing is a fun activity to do right at home, and it's also a frugal way to upcycle clothing or just about any other fabric.

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Steps for the pattern

​DIY Tie Dye T-Shirt
Materials Needed:
T-shirt
Liquid Bleach
Water
Squeezable Condiment Bottle
Rubber Bands or String
Rubber Gloves
​Scissors

First: Fill a bottle with 3 parts bleach to 1 parts water. You can also use straight up bleach. ( Make SURE to mark any bottle with "BLEACH" to make sure no one mistakes it for something else!)

Second: Lay your shirt out flat on a table.

Third: Pinch the shirt on the side that you want the bullseye to be. Pull upward into a cone shape, guiding the fabric with other hand.

Fourth: Wrap a rubber band 1 to 2 inches below tip of fabric, then continue binding fabric with desired amount of rubber bands.

Fifth: Gather up the remainder of the shirt like an accordion and tie with string and or rubber bands.

Sixth: Once you are done tying the shirt up, place the shirt on a wire rack or in the bottom of your sink.

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Steps for distributing bleach mixture.

Seventh: With rubber gloves on, apply the bleach mixer to the shirt around the rubber bands. ( Do both sides of the shirt.)

Eighth: Let the shirt sit for a few minutes until you see the color start to turn. Just be careful how long you leave the solution on, especially if using undiluted bleach. The bleach will start breaking down the fabric fibers.

Ninth: Rinse with cold water and wrong out the excess water.

Tenth: CAREFULLY cut the rubber bands off and unfold

Eleventh: Wash.

Finished! The colors will vary based on what color your garment was to start with.

* For a more subtle effect, tie the shirt up and place in a bucket of diluted bleach with a ratio of two cups bleach to 1 gallon of water. Check your shirt in 1 hour intervals. Some fabric may fade faster than others so be careful with this. Bleach is strong and works quickly. When the color is to your liking, give the shirt a good squeeze to drain any additional water. Then rinse under cold water, Remove rubber bands and wash. 

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