Tutorial | Easy Tie Dye T-shirts, Without Dye!

Back of the T-Shirt

Front of the T-Shirt

Hello everyone,

I've always fancied making a tie dye t-shirt, and I recently discovered that you can do it without any dye. Instead you do it with bleach, called 'reverse tie dying'. All you need for this is a plain coloured t-shirt, normal household bleach, a bucket, water, gloves and some hair bobbles or elastic bands to secure the top.

The first thing you do, is lie the t-shirt out on a flat surface, pinch it the middle with two fingers, and twist it round in a circular motion. You keep on doing that until your top is in a ball shape.

Using your elastic bands or hair bobbles, or whatever you can get your hands on, wrap them over and around the top to secure it in the shape. I used 8, but you can use as little or as many as you wish, just as long as it is tightly secured.

In the bucket, you then pour in the bleach and warm water, with 3 parts water to 1 part bleach. MAKE SURE YOU WEAR GLOVES TO PROTECT YOUR SKIN WHEN DOING THIS. It is really important that the bleach doesn't touch you. I did this part outside because I am quite clumsy and I know my mum would be very annoyed if I spilt the beach anywhere in the house - understandably of course, because it takes the colour out of everything (which is why it's great for reverse tie-dying!)

If the t-shirt floats to the surface like mine does up here ^, just put something heavy on top of it to weigh it down. I used the jug I used to measure the bleach and water, and the bleach bottle in it, but you can just use a rock, flower pot, whatever (as long as you don't mind it touching bleach!)

I left my top in there for 25 minutes, although how long you leave yours in is up to and how tie dye-ish (is that a word?!) you want it to be. When you lift it out, if you pull back one elastic band the top there should be a different colour to what it is on the outside - that's when you know it's done.

Once you've taken it out of the bucket (of course wearing your gloves!) remove the elastic bands and put in the washing machine on a rinse wash to remove the bleach from the top and make it comfortable to wear. From then on, all you do is treat it like a normal t-shirt and hang it up to dry. Once dry, hey presto! you can wear your beautiful new top.

As you can see, it works on both sides of the top equally well. The colours it turns out to be depends on what colour the top was before you tie dyed it.

If this is too confusing for you, or you just want to buy this exact one I made instead, then click this link:  http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Handmade-Womens-Baggy-Purple-Tie-Dye-T-Shirt-Size-6-8-10-/231022759799?pt=UK_Women_s_T_Shirts&hash=item35ca078f77  to go onto my ebay and buy it. There is currently only one for sale, but if you want one and this existing one is already gone, then just leave a comment with what size and colour you would like and i would love to make another and sell it to you!

Hope this has inspired you to love tie dye this Summer!

Sophie x