Supplies
- All-Purpose Liquid Dyes in Golden Yellow, Cherry Red and Aquamarine
- Tie Dye Accessory Kit
- White Cotton Sweatpants
- Washable Fabric Marker
- Salt
- Baking Rack and Tray
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Plastic Table Cover
- Paper Towels
Time
Total: 30 minutes
Difficulty
Beginner
Instructions
- Prewash sweatpants in warm, soapy water. This helps to remove any finishes that may interfere with dye absorption.
- Fold sweatpants in half so the two legs are aligned.
- With a washable fabric marker, draw a diagonal line across the leg. This line will determine where your dye line begins and the angle.
- Carefully pleat across the line and secure with rubber bands. Wrap two more rubber bands roughly 5-10″ apart to create three sections as shown below.
- Set aside to prepare your squeeze bottles.
- Wearing rubber gloves, mix 2 Tablespoons of well-shaken liquid dye with two cups of hot tap water in the squirt bottle. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and shake well. For these pants, we used Golden Yellow, Cherry Red and Aquamarine in our All-Purpose Liquid Dyes.
- Place pants on baking rack with a tray under it. This keeps the dye from puddling under the fabric.
- Squeeze dye onto pants. Apply Golden yellow first, then Cherry Red, followed by Aquamarine. Make sure to overlap edges of colors to create Orange and Purple in-between.
- To help set the dye, we recommend using your microwave. Wrap the dyed fabric in plastic wrap and seal the edges. Place the wrapped fabric on a paper towel in the microwave and heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Plastic will puff up, creating a heat chamber that helps bond the dye with the fabric. Once the microwave is done, remove the shirt and open the plastic, letting it cool down.
- Before removing the rubber bands, we strongly recommend using Rit ColorStay Dye Fixative on the tee. It enhances the color, increases color retention and prevents dye from bleeding into white areas. Follow these instructions. If you are planning to apply the Fixative with a squirt bottle, mix 1/4 cup ColorStay Fixative with 2 cups of hot water and pour mixture into the squirt bottle.
- Carefully remove rubber bands with a scissors and unfold the fabric. Wash in warm water with a mild detergent, rinse and dry.
