My first attempt

[dbanzai]

Well, what do you think? I tried a tie-dye project yesterday. Do you think my lime green Mickey is more of a hidden Mickey?

You can't tell too well from that shot, but the head circle came out a little more oval/rectangle-esque.

 

[disneyscootergal]

Dang! Your picture is only showing up as a small square with a red X in it for me!

I really wanted to what you made!

 

[dbanzai]

Try again... At first I used a photo website, but then since I was getting the X too, I put it on one of my old websites.

 

[basketballmom]

I love it! I've never been able to do tie dye properly. How did you do it? What products did you use??

So creative!!!

 

[Alex2kMommy]

Cool!

I was considering making these for our next trip, but I've never done it before. I saw some instructions in the Craft section of the DIS once, but can't find it again. Can you point me to some instructions for this project

PS. I hadn't ever thought about it, but I suppose it's important to offset the ears a bit for a woman's shirt.

 

[dbanzai]

Thanks!

I used Tulip squirt bottles, which surprised me as I had bought buckets and thought I was going to dye the old-fashioned way. Instead I opend the box and saw it was these bottles.

All I did was bunch up three cicles (close enough I guess ), but a rubber band around them, and squirted the dye on the tips of the bunches down to the bands. Of course, I tried to make the head in a little bigger bunch. I thought about trying to do the design just on the front, but decided that may be a bit difficult and decided to double it up.

I guess I'm set for the parks Sunday now!

 

[disneyscootergal]

SWEET!! I really like it!

I add my vote to BMom's for creativity!!

 

[Alex2kMommy]

Hey, that doesn't sound too hard for me!

Just wondering out loud how to get the Mickey parts to touch... I suppose you could do the head part first, let it dry, then do the ears, making sure part of the head is included in the rubberband bunching?

Also was thinking you could draw on the shirt with a pencil (which should wash out) to get the circles where you want them, then draw the material up into a bunch to wrap the rubberband around the pencil marks? I am terrible at doing something free-hand, you did pretty well with that!

Another reason I hesitated to do the tye-dye thing is because I think tye-dye bleeds in the wash, doesn't it? This Tulip stuff shouldn't. Was it some sort of kit then?

I'm so glad I saw this post, thank you for all the info! Will have to go to the craft store soon!

 

[dbanzai]

My pleasure! It's something I've been thinking about doing for a while.

Real tie-dyes run, but this didn't seem to. In a warm wash, I had accidentally washed a pair of white socks with the shirts (I did the Mickey shirt separate from the other two shirts I ended up doing. So the socks survived two washes), and the socks came out fine.

I bought the Tulip stuff at my local Michael's, and they had both kits and separate bottles (boxed, hense not knowing the bottle plan). I could only find the lime green in a three-bottle kit, and bought the red and blue (they called it turqouise) separately. I also bought soda ash, to pre-treat the shirts.

After the project was done, and seeing how it was a different technique than what I expected, I think it may be easy with the bottles just to draw the face and make three circles just like that.

Otherwise, doing it the old-fashiond rubber band way, I would guess if you can bunch the head so the three rubberbands are almost touching (the two ears to the head at least), it may come out about right.

I don't know about doing the shirt in segments, as it may make the ears a different color from the head and you're supposed to wash the shirts after they've sat and settled 4+ hours. It seemed it would be a very messy thing to try and undo-redo the bands mid dye, too.

 

[Alex2kMommy]

Ahhh, so they don't dry before you drop them in the wash, huh? I'm guessing that's also why you decided to do the front AND back rather than try to do just the front?

Good to know. Thanks for the tips!

 

[Alex2kMommy]

Sorry, can I ask one more question?

How did you apply the rest of the colors to the shirt? Not rubberbands. It almost looks sprayed on (which would be kinda cool to do, my kids could help!)

I love your shirt, and you've inspired me. I'm going to try it out!

 

[dbanzai]

The whole thing is almost like spray-on, including the head. It's like a glue tube. You just squirt and that's that. You can add other rubberbands if you wish, it could add a nice different effect.

 

[Alex2kMommy]

Thanks! I really like it, and am excited to try it out.

 

[dbanzai]

Good luck! I have some more shirts and dye and may try the drawing technique tonight. I'll post the results if/when I do it... You do the same!

 

[dbanzai]

Well, I leave in the morning. If anyone sees the above shirt Sunday, stop by and say hello.