Lesson: How to Tie Dye Spiral Pattern

Pinch and twist to create this classic tie dye pattern!

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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!

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Spiral pattern tutorial at minute 4:22

step one

Head here to learn how to prep your item for dyeing. Once your item is damp and ready, lay it flat. Identify where you want the center of your spiral and pinch the fabric in that place with your index finger and thumb.

step two

Gently twist the fabric over and over until a spiral begins to form. You can use your non-dominant hand to control the fabric as it spirals to prevent it from towering. Once you get to the end, you may want to manually place the remaining fabric into the spiral formation, especially with pants and long-sleeve shirts.

step three

Once all of your fabric has been incorporated into the swirl creating a big circle, band the fabric like slices of pizza until your spiral feels secure. 6 or 8 "slices" will do. If working with a bulky items such as sweatpants, you may want to add additional vertical and horizontal rubber bands to keep your large item secure.

step five

Rubber-banding your spiral like a pizza pie comes in handy when applying the dye! Apply dye in "slices." Be sure to 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. This method results in a perfect spiral!

step five

Flip the bundle over, and use the same method for applying dye to the back side. Be sure to match the back of each "slice" with the color that was used on the front side.

step six

PRO TIP: Check the folds of each slice, make sure that no large fabric gaps were missed. Be sure to leave some white within the folds as well — don't fully saturate the inside of the folds — as this allows the color to bleed, and creates a clearer spiral pattern.