Next, put on gloves and pour bleach directly into a container (that is only used for crafting). It will produce slightly different results, but part of the fun of reverse tie dye is making different patterns and experimenting with different techniques.Ģ. *You can also try skipping this step of getting the fabric wet first. Wring out the excess water and fold into different designs – you can fold the fabric into squares, triangles, rectangles, etc. First, working in a well ventilated area, submerge the fabric in water. I used my kitchen sink. Technique #1: Submerging textile in bleach.ġ. There are several different techniques you can use for reverse tie dye and I’ll take you through three of them today: a spray bleach technique, a pouring technique, and a submerging technique.Įach will give you different results and varying patterns. In terms of the type of fabric that is best for reverse tie dye projects though, I typically use materials that are 100% natural, like linen or cotton. The plain napkins I used for this project are from World Market and Etsy. From bandanas and napkins to t-shirts and sweatshirts. You can use so many different kinds of textiles for reverse tie dye. What materials are best for reverse tie dye? If you feel uncomfortable working with household bleach, do not recreate this project. But if you’re outdoors (and you should be), a mask is not at all required. If desired, you can also wear a mask / respirator. *Disclosure: When using household bleach, you should ALWAYS wear gloves and work in a well ventilated area – like the outdoors. old towel (to put down on the ground outside while working).tongs and gloves (for handling the bleached fabric afterward).medium size container (I used a plastic desk trash can).small pieces of cardboard, rubber bands, metal clips, etc.any textiles (clothing, napkins, bandanas, pillow covers, etc).To keep it as simple as possible, shibori is a Japanese dyeing technique that uses a resist to create unique patterns on fabric.īoth tie dye and shibori create patterns on clothing and housewares, but generally speaking, shibori is a far more intricate process than tie dye. What is the difference between shibori and tie dye? Pretty unique, right? I love this technique. It will probably instead, look like what you see in all the photos. The result may not be what you picture though. Only it won’t be dyeing you textile a color, it will instead be removing the color from the fabric. But the process is really interesting and definitely worth trying, as long as you feel comfortable working with bleach.Įssentially, the bleach will act as the dye. You will need to take some precautions when using bleach, like working outdoors, wearing gloves, etc. It’s very easy to do and process really unique results.
#One color tie dye patterns how to#
You’ve probably heard of reverse tie dye before, but maybe you didn’t know what it is? Reverse tie dye or tie dyeing with bleach is exactly what I’m going to show you how to do today. I’ll show you three different techniques you can use for reverse tie dye too, so you can choose the look you like best. To mimic this look at home, you’ll just need a solid color fabric (cotton, linen, etc) and some bleach. Yep! That tie dye tea towel you see above was made with bleach not dye! Surprisingly, bleach works like a charm and because it’s even less complicated that your average dying project (and less expensive materials-wise), I thought you might want a tutorial. This time though, I tested out making patterns, using a simple reverse tie dye technique that uses bleach instead of dye to create realy cool patterns on home textiles and clothing. So, I thought it was time to try this project again.
Have you heard of reverse tie dye before? Stick around…sharing the DIY today!Ī few years ago, I shared a technique for bleaching linen that transforms old textiles in a really pretty way.