Heart Tie-Dye T-Shirt

How to Make

Before you start:

Soak a T-shirt in a bowl of water then squeeze hard to remove as much water as possible, or rinse and spin dry the T-shirt in a washing machine. Follow the instructions in the kit for adding water to the dye bottles and applying it onto the fabric.

To make a heart:

1. Place a damp T-shirt flat onto a smooth, clean work surface. Fold it vertically in half, with the sleeves together. Pull the fabric to smooth out any creases. Draw half a heart shape next to the fold with a washable pen.
2. Carefully start pleating the T-shirt following the outline. Bunch the fabric together keeping the line straight. Re-position the T-shirt sleeves and edges as you pleat the fabric each time, to help keep the line straight. When you reach the end, wrap an elastic band around the T-shirt over the line. Wrap a couple more elastic bands around the T-shirt to hold the pleats together.
3. Cover your work surface with the polythene sheet from the kit then place a wire rack on top. Wear the gloves from the kit to protect your hands. Place the T-shirt onto the wire rack then squeeze coloured dye over the fabric. Turn it over then add more dye on the reverse side. Press the fabric so the dye reaches inside the folds.
4. Leave the T-shirt to dry for 6-8 hours on the wire rack. Remove all the elastic bands then open out the T-shirt. Leave it to dry out for a bit longer again if the middle is still damp. Wash the T-shirt to remove any excess dye then leave it to dry. Cover the T-shirt with a thin cloth then press with a warm iron. If the heart shape isn’t clear or the colours run together when you open out the T-shirt, use a small piece of sponge or a paintbrush to apply some more dye to make the heart.

Top Tip

A big heart outline should produce a clearer heart shape on the finished dyed pattern. Try making a heart template from folded A4 card to draw around. Exaggerate the heart shape with a deep ‘V’ in the middle.