Lesson: How to Tie Dye a Heart
Grab a washable marker & learn how to make a symmetrical tie dye heart!
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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!
step one
Fold item in half and draw a half of a heart along the center crease using a washable marker or fabric pencil. If using a washable marker, dampen your item before drawing on it. If using a fabric pencil, draw on dry fabric and dampen your item after you've rubber-banded over the drawn line.
step two
Carefully accordion fold along the drawn line, making sure to keep the line straight as you line up the folds. Take extra care when folding along the curve of the heart, making small folds as needed.
step three
Add your first rubber band around the accordion folded line, tieing so that the rubberband is snug but not too crazy tight. You want your dye to be able to seep in between the folds to get a solid heart.
step four
Next, band up the rest of your item! If you want rings of color around your heart, keep those accordion folds pulled out straight and rubber band more sections to create boundaries for additional colors. If you want to scrunch the rest of your fabric, lay it out as flat as possible then gently scrunch the fabric towards the center of the area. Use a few rubber bands to hold your scrunches in place.
step five
Apply dye to each section with care! The tip of your fabric where you drew the outline of the half-heart is what is going to turn into the center heart. Add dye in your desired heart color, making sure to get the dye in between the folds, front and back. Give this dyed area a gentle massage to ensure the dye seeps to the backside of the fabric as well, especially if you're dyeing something with two sides like a t-shirt or tote bag.
To the "bullseye banded" area, add your desired colors to each section, keeping in mind that the colors will bleed slightly into one another, so choose your colors accordingly!
To the "scrunching" section, add your color of choice, leaving some white spots to mimic the white spots that will appear in between the folds of the fabric.
Flip the item over and dye the back side as well, matching the color placement on the front.
Carefully place dyed item in a plastic bag or wrap in plastic wrap, trying to avoid dye spots getting on the wrong color sections. Let sit for 6-24 hours!
step six
Follow our rinsing, washing & tie dye care instructions here! Enjoy rocking your awesome new heart tie dye creation!!!!
TIP: If your heart comes out with unwanted white spots like our sample did at first, wash & dry it, then apply more liquid dye directly to the dry item, filling in the spots. Remember that the dye will bleed out, so go easy with the dye. Let sit another 6-24 hours, then rinse, wash, dry and enjoy!
Apply your new-found skill to create awesome things! Here’s a round-up of project inspiration.
