A collaboration by Dua Senja x Cherlyn
Easy and simple instructions to start your tie-dye experience today!
Want to start, but you don't know how?
Then you're on the right place!
Shop your tie-dye kit here.
Here are all the things included in our tie dye kit:
- A White Plain Cotton T-shirt
- Our Premixed Fabric Dye
- 3 Sets of Plastic Gloves
- A Bag of Thin and Thick Rubber Bands
- Zip Lock
- Large Plastic Cover
- 2 Squeeze Bottles
Few things to note before you start:
1. The t-shirt we've provided are new, and thus, needs to be washed beforehand. This is because new shirts have chemical that keeps the dye from soaking completely.
2. You want your rubber bands really tight so the dye won't pass through.
STEP 1
Set up your workspace (any large surface will do).
Start by laying out the plastic cover on your work area. Use the plastic gloves to protect your hands. Insert your choice of premixed dye into the bottle and dilute it with a little hot water. Gently stir to combine dye mixture. Proceed to add more warm water into the squeeze bottle and adjust the amount of water accordingly. The more water, the less saturated the colour will be.
STEP 2
Choose a tie dye design you'd like to work on.
These are some of the examples:
- Spiral Technique (pic.1)
- Shibori Technique (pic.2)
- Crumple (pic.3)
- Marble Technique (pic.4)
- Bulls Eye Technique (pic.5)
1. Spiral Technique
Lay your pre-washed t-shirt flat on your work area, use a fork in the centre of where you want your spiral to be. It will be easier with a fork, but you can also do without a fork by pinching the centre.
Twist until T-shirt is a spiral shape.
Tie the shirt to keep it all in place.
Use 3 bands, to create 6 different sections. Or 4 bands, to create 8.
Then, take your premixed bottle, squeeze it onto the t-shirt, alternating through different sections.
Be generous with the pour to get the optimal color & design.
This will create the spiral design that you desire.
Once you're happy with it, place the final product into the zip lock for 8-24 hours.
This is to make sure that the shirt remains damp, helping it absorb the dye better.
2. Shibori Fold Technique (Stripes)
Shibori is Japanese style of dyeing.
To get that minimalistic stripes look, fold your shirt in an accordion style.
Fold it sideways, from left to right, to achieve horizontal stripes.
Fold it upwards, from the bottom up, to achieve vertical stripes.
You can then play around with the colours and the amount of dye you want.
Lastly, place your final product into the zip lock for 8-24 hours, so the shirt will remain damp to absorb the dye better.
3. Crumple or Marble Technique
Start with a damp shirt and crumple it similar to the pictures provided above.
For the Crumpled look:
Tie the crumpled shirt in sections to get an even scrunched look. Then squeeze out the dye evenly. Use your hands to even out the dye distributions and make sure the inner parts of the shirt are covered as well.
For the Marbled look:
Tie the crumpled shirt with lots of rubber bands to get the marbled look. Then, squeeze out the dye as shown in the picture (pic.4). Finally, Place the final product into the zip lock for 8-24 hours, so that the shirt will remain damp and absorb the dye better.
4. Bulls Eye Technique
First, lay out your white tee on to your work space. Pinch the center of your shirt, and pull it upwards. The amount of rubber bands you tie is going to be the amount of 'rings' shown on the shirt. The closer you tie it, the closer the rings will be.
You can opt for a minimal look and use only one color or you can play around and mix and match the premixed dye for a more colourful look.
For the monochromatic look, simply squeeze out a generous amount of dye into the shirt, place it in the zip lock, and pour in more dye for the shirt to bath in.
For several colours look, squeeze out your color per ring section (in between each rubber bands).
Then after you're done, place the shirt into the zip lock for 8-24 hours, so that the shirt will remain damp, and will absorb the dye better.
STEP 3
After 8-24 hours, take the shirt out of the zip lock, and place it under cold running water. (never use hot water as it will dull the final colours) Gently wring out excess dye from the shirt, until the water runs clear.
If you're using a washing machine, wash the t-shirt by itself to prevent the dye from bleeding out to your other clothes. Proceed to air dry for better results. We don't recommend ironing your shirt as it might dull the colors.
STEP 4
Have fun and take lots of pictures!
Make our day by sharing your tie dye experience and tag us on our Instagram!
Message from Creator:
Thank you for sharing the love of tie-dye with me. In times of chaos, and uncertainty like this,
I hope that this activity can lift up your spirit. Have fun, and express yourself. Don't be held back by the fear of messing up.
As Bob Goff said, "There are no mistakes, just happy accidents."
I hope the expectation, and excitement that follows as you untie the bands, will be the joy you find in the ordinary. Continue celebrating the small things in life! We wish you a healthy and happy quarantine.
Much love,
Dua Senja x Cherlyn