Tie Dyeing has always been a lot of fun for me… it’s the old hippie in me, I guess! My girls and I get together sometimes for a tie-dye party. This time I wanted to try a sort of Reverse Tie Dye technique with bleach.

Technically, it’s not “Dyeing” since you’re taking the dye away. It’s interesting to see the color left behind after the bleach does its thing. Dark blue and black fabric tends to leave a purple or red color which makes for a pretty cool effect. This was a new technique for me, but I’m pretty happy with how the T-Shirts turned out.

Step 1: Supplies Needed:

-Colored T-Shirt

-Spray Bottle -Bleach -Water

Since we’re using bleach, it’s a good idea to do this outside. It’s raining today, though, so I’m working inside with the window open.

Step 2: Fold the Fabric

I decided to do the spiral design but feel free to experiment. Cover your table with plastic. Lay out the shirt, straightening out any wrinkles. Now, decide where you want the center of the spiral to be. Grab that spot of the shirt (front and back) and slowly start turning your hand to create a spiral. Take your time with this, adjusting the folds to keep it neat.

Step 3: Spray With Bleach Water

Add 3/4 cup water and 1/4 cup bleach to your spray bottle and gently shake. Spray the top part of the twisted up shirt with the bleach solution. Make sure you cover the whole thing. Note: test the spray of your bottle in a sink or outside. You want a ‘spray’, not a ‘stream’.

Let the shirt sit for anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the progress. Check it every few minutes. Mine took about 20 minutes.

Once you’re happy with the bleached areas, wash your shirt (washer or sink) and hang to dry.

What do you think??

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