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Easy T-Shirt Idea Learn How to Tie Dye With Sharpies

July 18, 2012 Amy 17 Comments

We had a blast making these Sharpie Tie Dye T-shirts for a play date last Tuesday.

Seriously no artistic talent needed. If you know how to scribble, you will do fine.

You just need a little imagination. I was watching my friend’s kids, since she was taking a class for the day. I had to come up with something to entertain the kids for a couple of hours. I saw something like this on Pinterest, but of course I had to try something completely different.

Sharpie Tie-Dye T-Shirt

Sharpie Tie Dye

This is a great project, since Sharpies are on sale around back to school time. I found this 24 pack of Sharpies. This pack should have every color you need to design a great looking shirt. I picked up the plain white t-shirts for every one of the kids at Michaels last week for $2.00 a t-shirt. These are perfect for Tye Dye t-shirts and I love a bargain.

Directions On How to Tie Dye With Sharpies:

We started with the plain, boring white t-shirts I purchased from Michaels. Put some paper, magazines or cardboard between the shirt. This is to prevent the Sharpies from bleeding through the front part to the back, unless that is the design you want. Then just make sure you put something under the shirt to prevent it ruining your carpet or table. I didn’t care what mess the kids made with Sharpies. I didn’t even care they forgot to put the lids back on, since we were ripping out the carpet that week anyway. Very stress free for me. If you see my previous post carpet is now gone! Yippee.

Sharpie Tie Dye DIY

Next draw any design you wish. I just let the kids draw with the Sharpies whatever tie dye design they wanted. They loved using their creative freedom. You don’t want to be really detailed, since in the next step all the colors will bleed together to create a tie dye effect. This is where we had lots of fun coming up with different tie dye designs.

How to make Sharpie Tie Dye

After you have created your design then the fun part starts. Take a squirt bottle and filled it with rubbing alcohol. I would then recommend taking this outside. Liberally spray the front of the shirt with alcohol. The colors will bleed as soon as you start to spray. We found red, orange and black make the tie dye with sharpies look the best.

Sharpie Tie Dye Design

Let the front dry and then spray the back. These dry fast outside and since it is alcohol.

Once you are finished with your design and want it to set. Place an iron without the steam and iron over the shirt to set the colors. Or you can simply throw it in the dryer to heat set for about 30 min on high.

Design possibilities for Sharpie Tie-Dye T-Shirts:

I used duct tape (the duct tape is zig zagged)  to create a cross that had a negative area then colored around the duct tape. I just used squiggles. I sprayed the alcohol around the duct tape and let it dry. Then I removed the duct tape. I was surprised it bled under the duct tape, but it came out really cool.

Sharpie Tie Dye ideas

We created a rainbow circle like a tie dye T-Shirt on one. It turned out awesome. We found the more you color with the Sharpie marker on one area the more the Sharpie colors will bleed like a tie dye shirt. The swirl effect is created by drawing a spiral. Try different colors of Sharpies for an even cooler effect. The dot tie dye effect turned out awesome by put a dot of the Sharpie and let it set for a second or two to soak the shirt. Once this is sprayed it spreads.

Here are the designs we created using this Sharpie tie dye method. Now my mind is reeling thinking of all  the other possibilities that can be done with this great Sharpie tie dye style. You have so much more control of how the design of your tie dye t-shirt turns out by using Sharpies.

I would love to know if you made any of these yourself. Tag me on social media @mainlyHomemade or use the hashtag #mainlyhomemade. I can’t wait to see what you design.

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

 

Crafts, Fashion, Kids kids activities, sharpie, summer crafts

About Amy

Amy Greene has a passion for creating items from scratch. She created Mainly Homemade to inspire families to cook homemade meals and create homemade crafts to create lifelong family memories. Receive creative family memories in your inbox.

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Comments

  1. Alison says

    July 20, 2012 at 8:00 pm

    Super neat! I was going to post a list of things to do with old t-shirts on my blog like making different bags and tie dying and I was wondering if it would be cool if I put a link to your neat new tie dye method!! This looks like something that would be great to try!!! Thanks for the great idea 🙂

    Reply
  2. Amy says

    July 20, 2012 at 8:48 pm

    That would be wonderful Alison. Yes, please list this idea with a link back. I would love that! Let me know when you do the post. I am always looking for great ideas!

    Reply
  3. ang says

    August 3, 2012 at 10:18 am

    Hello! Stopping by from Activity Corner – love your post! I hope you’ll come visit me at jugglingactmama.blogspot.com. Have a great day!

    Reply
  4. Noelle says

    March 25, 2014 at 10:27 am

    How did they hold up in the laundry? Thinking of doing this as team shirts for our bible quiz team – thanks to another mom who found your post.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      April 4, 2014 at 7:12 am

      They hold up fairly well. I would recommend heat setting the shirt once you are done. For 30 min in the dryer or iron it before you wash for the first time. Just like any tie dye it will fade over time.

      Reply
  5. Candase says

    June 11, 2014 at 8:17 pm

    Do you have to wash the shirts in any thing to set the color?

    Reply
  6. Donna says

    July 21, 2015 at 4:15 am

    This is a great tutorial! Inviting you to share at our blog hop #OMHGWW

    http://twochicksandamom.blogspot.com/2015/07/38th-oh-my-heartsie-girl-wordless.html

    Reply
  7. Hollie says

    July 21, 2015 at 2:41 pm

    That’s pretty darn cool!

    Reply
  8. Mary Gilbert says

    July 26, 2015 at 1:26 pm

    Neat idea…would have shared if I saw a button. #FoodieFriDIY

    Reply
    • Amy says

      July 26, 2015 at 3:36 pm

      Thanks. The buttons are below the post to share!

      Reply
  9. Lou Lou Girls says

    July 27, 2015 at 8:42 pm

    Oh my! This looks so fun! Pinned and tweeted. Please join us tonight at 7 pm, and party with us. I can’t wait to see your new masterpieces or amazing classics! Lou Lou Girls

    Reply
  10. Diane says

    March 3, 2019 at 8:27 am

    If you want the colors to stay bright, you MUST set with heat: either iron (NOT on Steamsetting), or in the clothes dryer.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      March 3, 2019 at 9:00 am

      Thanks Diane. I realized I had not put that in my post. I have updated it with heat setting instructions.

      Reply
  11. Andi says

    May 10, 2021 at 8:12 am

    I’ve been doing this for years. Setting the color by ironing, then washing in COLD water. When I wash them the first time, I include a Color Catcher sheet. It keeps the white of the shirt white.

    We recently did this on onsies as an activity at my daughter’s baby shower. Such fun! Instead of a spray bottle we used droppers. It will make the bleed be more circular.

    Reply
    • Amy says

      May 22, 2021 at 4:14 pm

      That is a fantastic idea Andi! I love it. Thanks so much for sharing.

      Reply

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