Tie Dye Long Sleeve Shirt

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• White Long Sleeve T-shirt
• Dye
• Gloves
• Rubber bands
• Bucket or sink (if using a sink stick to galvanized or metal to avoid staining from dye)
• Cookie sheet or shallow plastic tub (to catch excess dye)
• Gallon Plastic Bag
• Hanger
• Old Towel or Rag
• Washing Machine

DIRECTIONS:

1. Decide on what design you want to use and the colors you want for your shirt. Lay the shirt on a flat surface and create your design holding in place with rubber bands. For a spiral design gather in the center and twist, flattening as you go. Once you have the circle formed, secure in place with rubber bands. Fold straight across the shirt pleating to create a horizontal design. For a splotchy pattern just gather and crumple the shirt and band in place. Experiment with different techniques of folding to create different looks.
2. Place your rubber banded shirt on a cookie sheet or in a plastic tub. Wearing rubber gloves, apply the dye to your shirt. Use an array of colors or just a few, experiment with different colors and mixing them together. The more dye you add the more saturated the colors will be. The darker dyes will over power the lighter ones so try not to put them too close. Once you finish the front flip the shirt over and dye the other side.
3. Place the dyed shirt into a bag with the rubber bands still around it for 7-8 hrs
4. Rinse shirts in cold water to remove excess dye.
5. Wring out any excess water and let the shirt air dry on a drying rack or hanging on a hanger. Place an old towel under to catch any dripping water that may contain dye and ruin surfaces.
6. After the shirt is dry, wash your shirt on cold with little detergent. Make sure to wash dyed shirts alone for the first washing to make sure dye doesn't transfer onto any other garments.

JOANN HACKS:

• Customize your shirt further by cutting off the bottom seam and cropping your shirt to your desired length. Lay your shirt flat and cut with scissors to the length you want.