Gone are the days when we used to love plain sweatshirts with no design, graphics, or art. Tie-dye is a process known to everyone, and you may have tried this sometime before or in your childhood. It’s now time to bring back some creativity in you and learn how to tie-dye a sweatshirt.
No matter the season, sweatshirts are great for comfort, and when you add a bit of personality using tie-dye, it becomes tempting, and you use it every day. Before you experiment and ruin off your favorite sweatshirt, it is always better to read out the instructions and do the job in a perfect manner.
Tie-dying a sweatshirt
The tie-dying process is super easy and super fun when you know the right instructions and the supplies. DIY at home, below you will come to know all about the process so that you are ready to add colors and make your sweatshirt eye-catching and charismatic.
Choose the right fabric
An important step, not all sweatshirts make the best tie-dye, so you have to choose the right one. Fabric composition in this respect plays a critical role. When it comes to tie-dying, natural fabrics are preferred in place of synthetic fabric. Natural fabrics include cotton, silk, and wool. We recommend that you go for a 100% cotton fabric sweatshirt. Talking about the colors, plain white will appear to be particularly appealing.
Gather your supplies
Before you start any project, let alone the tie-dying process, it is essential that you have all the required supplies, tools, or pieces of equipment ready at your disposal. Especially when you are about to tie-dye a sweatshirt, keep in mind that it takes a lot of dye, and you should have it ready beforehand.
So, before you confuse yourself, here is what we recommend that you get before you start the project.
- A plain white cotton sweatshirt
- Tie-dye bottles or a kit
- Rubber bands
- Protective gears such as gloves and plastic wrap
Other than that, take paper towels, zip lock bags, and safety pins, as all of these will help you avoid the mess and complete the project in the perfect manner.
Prepare the sweatshirt and the workspace
When you have got all the materials that are required, it’s time to show some actions. But wait a minute, the overall process can get messy, so it is better to prepare the workspace before you actually start.
Start by placing a plastic tablecloth and clamp it down, so it doesn’t move and cause spilling. Also, you need to prepare the sweatshirt for tie-dye. For that, wash the sweatshirt you want to use and make sure there are no stains or dirt already on it.
Tie-dye process
As you wash the sweatshirt for cleaning, keep it damp if it is all clear. A wet sweatshirt is easier to die than a dry sweatshirt. We are assuming that you have decided the shape already and if not, here are the options that you can select from.
- Scrunch dye pattern
- Swirl dye pattern
- Ice dye pattern
- Bullseye pattern
- Sunburst pattern
Other than that, you will find plenty of designs, and it’s all upon how creative you are.
Here it is expected that you have set the dye mixture in advance. If not, then you are required to do it at this stage. Nevertheless, there are tie-dye kits available that require only a single step. Guarantee that there is sufficient liquid for the sweatshirt to soak into.
Now fold your shirt as per your desired pattern and soak it in the dye solution. The tie-dying process is all about folding, twisting, and pleating the fabric you are using. Bind it with strings or the rubber band so that it remains in shape and absorbs the design in its true form. Moreover, it also helps keep the sweatshirt altogether.
It’s all about the surface, exposure, and pattern design you chose, and you will see the shirt taking a completely new outlook. Band up the shirt as per your design and place it on the rack. Begin with the lightest colors and see how it is transforming. Do not forget to dye the backside.
When mixing the dye or soaking the shirt, use hand gloves and other protective gear where required.
After you are done with it, place the shirt in a plastic bag carefully and leave it there overnight. Next, you have to rinse it, so that excess dye clears off. Let it dry after that, and you have your dyed sweatshirt ready.
It’s not always the sweatshirt we want to convert into a piece of art; you can try different pieces of clothes such as sweatpants, black shirts, jeans, and socks as well.
Conclusion
Now get cozy at home with this guide showing you how to tie-dye a sweatshirt. From gathering the supplies to setting up a workplace, you have to keep in mind the pattern design and then follow it accordingly. The finished dyed sweatshirt will make you go like crazy, and you will try other cloth pieces as well. So, when are you going to transform your sweatshirt?