This is my first attempt at tie dyeing a specific shape. It’s a little more fussy than other folding techniques but I’m pretty happy with the way it turned out. I will have to practice my pleating, though to make the shape neater.

Step 1: Supplies:

- Tie-Dye Kit

- Tank or T-Shirt (white or light colored – mine is gray)

- Washable Markers (I didn’t have one and used a pencil… didn’t work very well)

-Plastic to cover table

-Plastic bag (zip or grocery)

(Note: Your Tie-Dye Kit should contain rubber bands and gloves)

Step 2: Prep Your Shirt:

Prepare your shirt following the dye kit directions. Usually, this involves pre-washing and soaking the shirt in water or possibly soda ash.

Step 3: Folding:

Cover your table with plastic. Take the shirt out of the soaking water and squeeze out any excess. Fold shirt in half vertically. The fold will divide the heart in half to ensure two ‘equal’ sides. Using your marker, draw half of a heart on the shirt, with the center line along the folded edge of the fabric.

Starting at one edge of the drawn heart, pinch both layers and gather/pleat the shirt all along the drawn heart line. This may take a bit of practice. Feel free to start over (I did many times)

Once the entire outline is pleated, secure with 2 or 3 rubber bands.

Step 4: Dyeing:

Mix the dyes with water according to the dye kit directions. Decide what color you want for the heart and apply it (fuscia). I used a second color (blue) and applied it randomly to the rest of the shirt.

Step 5: Set & Finish:

Wrap your shirt in a plastic bag and let it set over night (check the kit directions). The next day, thoroughly rinse the shirt to remove all excess dye. Wash (separately) and lay flat to dry.

That’s all there’s to it! This technique works for any shape (guitar??). Have you tried tie dyeing shapes??

Download this Free Tutorial here!

Did you see some of my other Tie Dye Projects?

Cool Tie Dyed Long Johns

Reverse Tie Dyeing with Bleach