Lesson: How to Tie Dye Bullseye Pattern
Two versions of this simple yet stylish tie dye pattern: Center & Mini
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- Tub or bucket of water
- Tulip® One-Step Tie-Dye®*
- 4oz squeeze bottles*
- Rubber bands*
- Plastic table cloth*
- Metal rack + tray or 2-ply paper towels
- Rubber gloves*
- Apron or smock*
- Ziplock bags or plastic wrap (plus a Sharpie if you’re doing this with friends!)
*Included in our Tie Dye Kits!
Bullseye pattern tutorial at minute 10:41
Centered Bullseye
step one
Head here to learn how to prep your item for dyeing. Once your item is damp and ready, lay it flat. To create one large bullseye, identify the point that you want to be the center. Pinch the fabric on that point and pull your item upward from that point to the rest of the fabric drapes down.
step two
Wrap a rubber band just below the center point, then another rubber band a little ways down.
step three
Keep adding rubber bands incrementally down the fabric until you get reach the bottom of your bundle.
step four
Bullseye is simple when it comes to dye. Each banded section can be a different color or the whole thing can be one color. White rings will appear where the rubber bands are so it’s totally up to you what colors you want the bullseye rings to be!
When applying dye, place colors next to each other that will blend nicely together. If you place two colors next to each other that will turn brown when mixed, be sure to leave ample white space between the colors to allow each color room to bleed.
step five
Flip the item over, and apply dye to the back side, continuing the same color in each section that was used on the front side.
step six
PRO TIP: Gently squeeze each section to ensure that all of the fabric within each section is fully saturated with dye.
step seven
Head here for instructions on how to set dye, then rinse, wash & care for your new bullseye tie dye creation!
Mini Bullseyes
step one
Head here to learn how to prep your item for dyeing. Once your items is damp and ready, lay it flat. You can create a pattern of smaller bullseyes by tying little points around the surface with rubber bands. We recommend spacing out two rubber bands at each point to create two rings on each mini bullseye. This helps ensure the pattern remains true to its name!
step two
Dye each bullseye “nub” before dying the rest of the item. Take each nub one at a time, hold it away from the rest of the fabric, and carefully apply dye. Each nub can be one color or as many colors as there are sections.
step three
Once each nub has been dyed, lay the item out flat and carefully apply dye to the remaining surface area.
step four
Head here for instructions on how to set dye, then rinse, wash & care for your new mini bullseye tie dye creation!
Apply your new-found skill to create awesome things! Here’s a round-up of project inspiration.
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