The weather is getting warmer, the sun is shining and the friends are coming over in droves! We are always looking for fun {electronic free} activities for the kids, especially as they get older. My 13 year old daughter Isabella is very much like I was at that age. She is drawn to anything creative where she can express herself. Her friends are very much the same way. So one afternoon, a half a dozen girls gathered around my patio table for some tie-dye fun! But the fun didn't stop there! We created six different ways {most of them no sew} to restyle their t-shirts!
We started with this easy, one-step mess free kit from Tulip. I know, I know, mess free and tie-dye don't seem like they should go together, and to be honest, it did make my heart skip a beat when I thought of the old way I used to tie-dye, but I promise you, not a single article of clothing that we didn't want to get dyed didn't get dyed and thanks to the gloves {that were included} no one walked away with dyed hands. This kit actually made it less messy to tie-dye shirts than the kit we used to dye our Easter eggs!
There was a little prep work before the girls came over. I opened up the kit and spread out the plastic tablecloth {it's included!}. There are 18 bottles of pre-measured dye, so all I had to do was add water to each bottle. While I was doing that, the girls read through the {included} full color idea brochure so they could get an idea of the technique they wanted to try. The girls put on gloves {seriously, they thought of everything!} and I had each of them shake the bottles of dye up.
The girls prepped their shirts with rubber bands and set to work squeezing dye onto the shirts. Once the shirts were finished, I actually wrapped them up using the plastic tablecloth that was included. You could put them in a sealed baggie for 6-8 hours but I like using what I have and wrapping the shirts up in the plastic tablecloth worked out just great! Doing that, made clean up a breeze!
After the shirts sat for 6-8 hours, all you do is cut off the rubber bands, wash them, dry them and then they are ready to be restyled!
Restyled Six Ways
I have six different restyling methods for you, all using your average white cotton t-shirt.
Side Ties
Start by cutting off your sleeves and your neckline. Turn the shirt over {front side down} and widen the back of the sleeve on the back side only, giving your shirt a racer back look. Cut down both of the seams from the armpit down to the bottom. Line up one side of your shirt {front and back together} and cut about four inches in every half an inch or so from the armpit down to the bottom of the shirt. Do the same to the other side. Use about a half an inch strip about six inches long of the unused sleeve to tie up both sleeves.
Fringe
This fringe pattern is really fun! Start by taking off the sleeves, the neck and about two inches off the bottom of the shirt leaving you with a tank top style. Cut small strips about eight inches up on the front and back of the shirt. Start by tying each of the strings together. About an inch down from the tie that you just made, tie the far right string from one, to the far left string of the other. I made a little illustration for you. Use a piece of the cut off sleeve to tie the shoulders.
The Braided Back Tank
Cut the sleeves and neck off of your t-shirt. Turn your shirt over {front facing down} and widen the neck of the t-shirt. Once you widen the neck, you will also cut a straight line from the bottom of the arm holes all the way to the other side. You can now open up your shirt. On the back cut three straps about ten inches long. Pull those straps to curl the fabric and then braid them. Once it's braided, secure your braid with a few needle and thread stitches. Fold down the front flap with the neck and secure the braid with a few more stitches to the center back. Roll the extra material on both sides to the center where the braid is secured and cut a one inch strip from one of your unused sleeves and wrap that around to hide the seams. Secure in place with a few more stitches.
Bow Back T
Cut the sleeves and neck of your shirt as shown. Turn your shirt over {front side down} and widen the back arm holes on both sides, again, making a racer back style like the side tie shirt. Cut about an inch lower on the back neckline. About two inches down from the neckline, cut one horizontal slit going about eight inches long. Cut another slit two inches down from that one about the same length. Repeat until you have the desired amount of slits in your shirt. Use your discarded sleeve and cut off the end inch where the seam is. Use that length of fabric to wrap the middle of your cut slits and secure the bands in place with a few stitches. Repeat, until all of your slits are wrapped.
Baby Doll T
Cut off the sleeve and make a v-neck in the front of the shirt. Cut an "L" shape {following the red lines in the bottom left picture} on both sides of the shirt on the back. Open up the top of the shirt by cutting a straight line across at the top seam. On the back cut a four inch line down the back side of the shirt. Tie the front long strips in a knot. Connect the ends of the strips to the back two cut pieces by tying them.
One Shoulder
This one shoulder shirt requires cutting off half the shirt at an angle {leaving part of the shoulder in a tank style} and removing the remaining sleeve. Cut the remaining part of the top in half about four inches in. Then, cut four inches into the shirt starting below the armpit every inch and a half or so until you reach the bottom. Tie the cuts that you made together, starting with the cut you made in the sleeve and working your way down the shirt.
If you love to create, don't miss a thing!
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