PRO TIPS
DIY KIT PRO TIPS
On Preparations
Garments will dye without soda ash, but will wash out more. If the result desired is a more subtle color or effect, just get damp with water. For darker, saturated, more brilliant colors, soak garments in soda ash solution for longer. The concentration of the soda ash used does not have to be increased, but the length of time soaked will help.
Pull out your oven rack (clean it) and place it over the kitchen sink. This simple rack is an awesome way to tie dye with less mess, and with a larger area to dye on. Rinse well after use and return to your oven!
On Tie Technique
The tighter the rubber bands, the more white and crisp the protected area will be after dyeing. The less tight, the more bleeding into this area. Each look has desirable effects depending on the look you are going for!
Remember- there is a front AND a back of your garment. If you tie the back up without separating and only have the front of the garment exposed, the back of your garment will remain mostly white without its’ own designs!
Rubber bands and plastic bags can be used to protect certain areas during or after dyeing. For example: If you would like to dye a sweater half all black and half multicolors, it would be suggested that after you perform the multicolors, put that section in a plastic bag and rubber band tightly at your desired line and continue dyeing with black. This will ensure the colorful areas are protected from the black dye.
Tying rubber bands around marbles, wood blocks, bottle caps, etc will result in various ringed shapes.
To make perfect stripes or bands, pinch and collect your garment in the outline of your desired line with your fingers in a caterpillar-like movement. Once the desired line is drawn and collected, hold that tight and wind rubber bands tightly around it to ensure your line is protected as desired.
Small rings can be used to spell out letters and draw pictures! If you want to put your initials on your tee, tie small tight rings close together in the shape of each letter. Do the same for small pictures. Example: a Christmas tree for a Christmas tee! As you tie the shape can get lost so before you start take a washable pen, chalk, etc and draw your picture or letters!
Placement of your ties matters! Try to avoid placing centers of spirals, rings, or heavy directional lines in private areas! This may draw the eyes to areas you may not want focus on.
THE DYE PROCESS
The classic swirl can be done in many ways- Imagine your swirled garment as a pie, and you can dye or not dye each slice. Each pie slice of the swirl that is dyed will result in a single arm of the swirl. Dyeing the slice directly across will result in two swirl arms. Using a dark color or black around your swirls will make the colorful arms pop! The more dye added will reduce the amount of white that appears in each swirl arm.
If a lighter color is desired than the concentration provided in the bottles, pour some of the powder dye into a small resealable plastic bag and save for later use!
Test out your color on a paper towel before moving to your garment. This way you can tell if the color is perfect!
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Some colors can be created by mixing dye. This takes some skill so it is recommended to take very small increments of dye from the bottles and put into a separate glass with warm water to carefully create your new color.
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​For black, the hotter the water the better! This will create darker, richer blacks.
Caution: DO NOT handle water at a temperature too hot for comfort or boiling as it may cause burns if too hot.
When you add colors to your garment keep in mind that mixing some colors will result in others. For example, adding yellow dye and blue dye to one garment will result in some areas becoming green. It can be quite the fun result but a disaster if that is not what you want.
Dye powder can be sprinkled on wet garments to add a speckled effect. You don’t need much! Just take a pinch and rub it between your gloved fingers about a foot over the garment. In just a second you’ll start to see speckles of different sizes starting to form. Note: Dyes are often mixtures of other dyes and therefore you will likely see multicolor speckles.
Beware of concentrating dark colors in private areas! It will highlight and draw the eye to places you may not want to focus on!
Hanging your garments after dyeing will let the dye bleed towards the floor. If you want a bled effect, hang your garment in a desired position in a protected area so the bleed seeps downwards.
You can do fun things with a spray bottle! If you have a spray bottle at home, put some of your dye color inside and spray at the garment. Depending on how the spray comes out, you can get soft hazy colors, spots and speckles, or even sharp blobs (using the stream spray function). CAUTION: this can make a big mess, but with proper protection and preparation, a mess can be a lot of fun.
While dyeing, giving your garment a little squish will help move the dye toward the center of the tied areas, helping reduce white areas. This will also help reduce crisp lines and blend colors.
On Finishing
Ironing the garment after washing and drying will make the color POP. Your garment will look 1000% better with a quick ironing after drying. You only have to do it once to get this effect, but it makes all the difference.
Rinsing your garment thoroughly under cold water before releasing the tied rubber bands will ensure any lines, rings, or effects will end up ultrawhite. Also make sure to use detergent in your cold wash and use the largest wash function for your single garment. This way your white areas will be protected.
Let your garment drip well before putting in a plastic bag to wait over night. If your garment has too much dye in it, it will contaminate and bleed over to other areas while sitting.
On Sharing
We look forward to seeing what you create! Tag or send us your photos so we can feature you! @TipsyTieDye
HAZARD IDENTIFICATION
WARNING:
All powders included the Tipsy Tie Dye Kit may cause respiratory irritation, allergic skin reactions, serious eye irritation, and should never be ingested. If these powders are mixed with water as instructed in the Kit Directions and Pro Tips, these hazards remain unchanged.
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PRECAUTIONARY STATEMENTS:
IF ON SKIN: Rinse with plenty of soap and water. If skin irritation occurs, seek medical attention. Wash contaminated clothing before further use. IF INHALED: Move to fresh air and rest in a position comfortable for breathing. Seek medical attention if signs/symptoms continue. IF IN EYES: Rinse with plenty of water, including under eyelids, for at minimum 15 minutes. If symptoms persist, seek medical attention. IF INGESTED: Dilute with water. Seek medical attention if symptoms continue. Never give fluids or induce vomiting if person is unconscious.