Did You Know | Holidays | Food

No 4th of July Celebration is Complete Without These Homemade Shirts

Here's something fun to make for your 4th of July parties this year! These red, white and blue t-shirts look so good you'll want to wear them all year round. And why stop at t-shirts? Try making tie-dye napkins, tablecloths, dresses or scarves (really, what CAN'T you tie-dye?). Just remember to machine wash them in cold so that the colors don't run!

Materials

  • Pre-washed white cotton t-shirts
  • Permanent dye
  • Rubber bands
  • Clothes pins

Directions

  1. Lay your t-shirt out flat.
  2. Using a clothes pin, pinch where you want the swirl to start.
  3. Twist the clothes pin in a circular motion until the entire shirt is swirled around the pin.
  4. Place a rubber band around the circumference of the swirled shirt to keep it in place.
  5. Next place a few rubber bands across the diameter of the shirt.
  6. Prepare your dyes according to the package instructions.
  7. Dip one side of your swirled shirt into the dye (make sure to keep a strip of white between the red and blue sections).
  8. The longer you keep the shirt in the dye, the darker the colors will be.
  9. Once you're happy with the color, gently squeeze out any excess dye from the shirt and let dry a bit before dipping the other side.
  10. Let your shirts sit for a few hours then rinse each color using cold water (do each side separately so the colors don't mix).
  11. Now you can unwrap your shirt and watch as the swirl unfolds!

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