DIY: Tie-Dye Tanks

Normally tie-dye shirts make me think of 70's day during school spirit weeks, but these tie-dye tanks are low-key and not too bright! They are super easy to make and look great during summer. Wear them alone or layer them under a jacket to transition into fall! Plus, it is a fun, cheap project- one pack of dye is usually just about $3.

Step 1: Make sure you start with a wet garment. You will need to fully immerse your garment in water and then ring out the excess.

Step 2: There are a lot of dyes and methods you can use. I like to use a powder dye like the ones available from Rit Dye. Start by filling your washing machine with hot water. Dissolve the powder in a small bit of water and then add to the washing machine. Mix well.

Step 3: Add wet garment to the washer. Set the washer to an extended wash- the garment needs to be in the dye for at least 30 minutes before letting it go through the rinse cycle with cold water.

Step 4: Remove garment, take off rubberbands if doing a tie-dye method and hang to dry. Darker garments may need to be washed before wearing. Enjoy your newly colored garment!


Tie-Dye Methods:

1) The olive green tank in the picture started off as a plain white tank. To get the one circle pattern, pinch a bit of fabric in the middle and pick it up. Twist the fabric as you would a mop (the less material you twist, the smaller the circle). Once it it twisted, fold the twist in half and secure with a rubberband. Follow the directions above. Remove rubberbands before hanging the tank to dry.

2) To get a design similar to the white and blue camisole, twist the entire shirt as you would a mop. Once it is twisted VERY tightly, fold the twist in half and secure with rubber bands towards the bottom. The material you leave hanging lose below the rubber band will give you the solid color on top and bottom of the camisole. If you want more solid color and less tie-dye pattern, simply adjust the rubber bands to allow more fabric to hang loosely. Wash as directed and remove rubberbands before drying.

3) For the blue and gray tank on the right, simply start with a gray tank instead of white and use blue dye. Follow the instructions for the first pattern and just vary the size of the circles by doing some small twists and some large ones. Wash as directed and remove the rubberbands before drying!

4) Experiment with various patterns and methods. For more ideas, check out these different tie-dye projects.