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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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 🙂
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!
Hello! Stopping by from Activity Corner – love your post! I hope you’ll come visit me at jugglingactmama.blogspot.com. Have a great day!
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.
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.
Do you have to wash the shirts in any thing to set the color?
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
That’s pretty darn cool!
Neat idea…would have shared if I saw a button. #FoodieFriDIY
Thanks. The buttons are below the post to share!
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
If you want the colors to stay bright, you MUST set with heat: either iron (NOT on Steamsetting), or in the clothes dryer.
Thanks Diane. I realized I had not put that in my post. I have updated it with heat setting instructions.
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.
That is a fantastic idea Andi! I love it. Thanks so much for sharing.
I love this, I like using sharpies more then I do the liquid dye,I just feel u can control it more. I’m just having some trouble finding designs to do with the sharpies, I know u can draw whatever u like but I mean using the rubber bands. I can’t really get the one design to do well for me the one where u grab in the middle an twiste in a circular way an then when I go to put the rubber bands on there the middle gets messed up some how an it never stays the way I see it being done, I tried wetting it I’ve tried alit of things but once I put those bands on there it just gets all out of place an never looks nothing like the design I was going for….. any tips plz??
Have you tried letting it dry completely before you remove the rubber bands?