Tye dye is like the fashion trend that always seems to stay in style. And you don’t have to spend a fortune. Just grab a white t-shirt and try it out. You’ll be surprised how easy it is. Here’s five easy and awesome tye dye t-shirt techniques that you and your kids can do at home today.

I’ve always been intimidated by tye dye projects as if they were too difficult. But when my oldest wanted to do a tye dye t-shirt, I figured let’s give it a try. We had a lot of fun and I realized that it’s super easy! Here’s five different techniques that you can use.

Gather your tye dye t-shirt supplies

The easiest way to start your first tye dye project is to just purchase a kit online. It gives you all of the instructions and it makes it super easy. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Fashion Tie Dye Kit (includes dispensers with dye, rubber bands, gloves and instructions)
• White cotton t-shirts (make sure you buy them one size too big because they will shrink in the wash)
• Garbage bags
• Water

Technique #1: Ombre

This is the easiest technique and my favorite. Choose one dye color of your choice and apply a liberal amount on the upper 1/3 of the t-shirt. Make sure there is no white showing. Then, dilute the dye with water and apply more dye on the middle 1/3 of the t-shirt. Finally, leave the bottom 1/3 of the t-shirt white.

Technique #2: Crumple

Crumple is exactly what the name implies. Just crumple the shirt up by starting with a pinch in the middle and slowly add more pinches until it’s a ball. Then add an combination of colors sporadically over the entire t-shirt. Add as little or as much as you want.

Technique #3: Sponging

Fill one end of a clean household sponge with your chosen dye color. Wipe the sponge across the t-shirt or use whatever pattern you would like. Be generous with the dye because it will turn out very light-colored when it dries if you don’t use enough. Dip the other end of the sponge with another color and apply another design if desired.

Technique #4:

Locate on your t-shirt where you want sunbursts. Then, pinch each area and bind with a rubber band. Soak the tip of fabric above the rubber band with dye. Continue this with the other areas. Then soak the remaining areas of the t-shirt with as little or as much dye as you would like with the color of your choosing.

Technique #5: Rainbow swirls

Decide where you want your rainbow swirl to be on the t-shirt. Then pinch the fabric and begin twisting into a flat spiral. You should end up with a clump-like flat ball. Bind it together with three rubber bands creating six wedge shapes. Apply a different color on eat wedge defined by the rubber bands. Be sure to apply the dye deep into the folds.

What other tye dye t-shirt techniques do you recommend? Leave your comments below.

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