Sometimes we're totally up for doing big, messy art projects. And sometimes, like a long weekend with my kids and parents in Woodstock, NY, we're totally not. Fortunately, my mom came prepped with all the supplies we'd need to do our very own, thematically appropriate tie dye for us to do.
The only supplies needed are Sharpie markers, isopropyl alcohol, and whatever you want to tie dye. We used t-shirts and tea towels.
Begin by drawing a design on the fabric using your Sharpie. It really adds to the tie dye effect if you put a bunch of different colors side by side. Then, when you have your marker design finished, drip the isopropyl alcohol over your design. You'll immediately see the colors begin to bleed.
Once you've got the colors running together in a way that you like, toss your creation into the dryer until the alcohol is dry. Now your creation is set!
Once we tried some basic designs, we used rubber bands to bind the fabric before applying the alcohol to create a more traditional tie dye look. We also made a souvenir Woodstock t-shirt that we liked even more than the ones for sale in town.
Monkey Dos
- Use an eye dropper if you have one to be more specific with your isopropyl alcohol placement.
- Combine marker drawing with and without the alcohol added. This lets you leave some areas with a shaper look, like marker letters with tie dye flames coming off of them.
- After being set in the dryer, wash in cold with dark colors for the first wash.