Clean and Simple Tie Dye

This is such a fun craft project for you and your kids no matter what the age.  I have seen Sharpie tie dyes all over Pinterest and decided to give it a try.

Supplies Needed:

t-shirt (I bought ours at Hobby Lobby for about $4 each)

Sharpie markers

Isopropyl Alcohol (the higher the percentage, the better)

Eye dropper (I used an old medicine dropper)

Cardboard

I slid the cardboard inside the shirt so the markers would not seep through and let my 4 year old go to town on his picture. (The picture is of Batman throwing a Batarang.)  In hindsight, a plastic drop cloth would have been a smart addition to this craft project.  Sharpies tend to have a mind of their own.

Next, squeeze the alcohol one drop at a time over the shirt where you would like the tie dye effect.  My son did this all by himself and loved this step the best.  The cardboard was sufficient to keep the colors from running.

I let the shirt dry and heat set it with an iron.  After several washings, the colors are still vibrant and my son is still so proud of his shirt.

Wouldn’t this be so fun and easy for play dates, birthday parties, baby showers, etc?!  My mom made my soon-to-be-born daughter some beautiful onesies using the cup method below.

Beneath the Rowan Tree had a tie dye party for her daughter and they all created wonderful masterpieces.  The difference between what I did with my son and the t-shirts she created has to do with disposable cups.  She fastened small disposable cups with rubber bands to the shirt and each girl made a design within the rubber band.  Definitely a prettier, tie dye effect but my son is just not into a pretty effect and will, by no means, draw small designs just yet.

The best thing about this project is that you can easily make it your own and suite it to your child.  Have fun creating!