Dip dye

I decided to try my hand at dyeing fabric for the first time today. And I wanted to start small. Wooden beads are one thing; somehow fabric seems endless more intimidating.

Martha had a project that I thought would be a great introduction to fabric dyeing: a Dip-Dyed T-Shirt. Not only did it seem simple, but I actually think the resulting shirt looks pretty cool for a dye technique that costs around two dollars.

I picked up a shirt from Urban Outfitters on sale for under five dollars, a total steal. I already had the dye on hand from my previous projects; I decided on a dark teal-blue color, just in time for spring.

The actual dying process was fairly simple. This time, I decided to complete the whole process in the bathtub, making for a much easier clean-up process.


I boiled water on the stove, as the instructions stated. I dumped in plenty of the Teal Rit Dye, making a nice dark teal color. I added in a dash of Royal Blue for good measure to deepen the color a bit. Then, came the dipping. I folded the t-shirt in half and lowered a few inches of it into the dye mixture. I held it there for around two minutes, until the reached a few shades darker than the color I wanted. After I was done, I rinsed the shirt out until the water ran clear. I hung the shirt up in the bathroom to dry.

The process was simple and fun and the resulting shirt is pretty awesome, if I do say so myself. I like that it looks uneven and crafty - it looks more homemade and personalized that way. I can't wait to wear this once it actually warms up enough for t-shirt wearing.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Dip-Dyed T-Shirt - Martha Stewart Crafts