Days of Play: Sharpie Tie Dye

Are you on Pinterest?

Okay, I just hacked a line from You've Got Mail. You know when Kathleen Kelly's bookstore employee girl ask employee guy "are on online?" Don't remember it.  I swear some days I feel like the only person in the world who has watched that movie over a million times. Sheesh, people. You're making me look bad.

 I'm on Pinterest (you can follow me here). Sometimes I feel like I need a Pintervention. But I don't really want one because I generally find some brilliant ideas I can try and share (or laugh about if I ruin).

Anyhow, under my PLAY WITH THIS board there is a tutorial for Sharpie tie dye. It looks cute, though I must admit I missed the Sharpie craze. $16 for markers that don't smell like fruit?  You've got to be kidding.  All this anti-Sharpieness aside, I decided to give this project a go.

I got this idea off of Art and Craft Tutorials but I'm pretty sure she didn't invent the idea.

What you will need:

• a pre-washed white t-shirt
• Sharpies in a variety of colors
• small cups (we opted for Dixie cups)
• rubber bands
• rubbing alcohol (mine was 70%)
• piece of cardboard 
• old medicine dropper

What to do:

1. Slide a piece of cardboard between your shirt from and back (so it doesn't bleed through to the back).
2. Figure out your design.  Or, if you are like me and you are gonna go random or go home, just start putting little cups under the shirt and then put a rubber band around the top.
3. Now, draw small designs in the middle of the cup.  SMALL.  Do not fill up the white space.  Just 10-15 little dots and designs (we tried peace signs, hearts, smiley faces, and suns).  ***WARNING*** In each area do NOT use complimentary colors.  When complimentary colors run together they equal brown.  Brown is not a fun tie dye color.  
4. With your medicine dropper, slowly (and yes, I mean slowly.  Drip.  Drip.  Drip) drip 8-10 drops of rubbing alcohol into the center of each cup.  Watch the colors bleed out.  ***NOTICE*** if you do NOT want really defined edges, go ahead and put a bit of alcohol on the edges of the cup to help facilitate bleeding.
5. Let dry.
6. Remove cardboard.
7. Throw in dryer for 20 minutes to "set" colors.
8. Wear.

FAQ:

• What are complimentary colors? Complimentary colors are across from one another on the color wheel. Red and green, orange and blue, purple and yellow.  Avoid mixing these.  I had great luck mixing greens/blues/yellows, yellows/oranges/pinks, pinks/purples/blues, etc.
• Can you wash this shirt?  Yes.  I would never encourage you to make something you can't use/wear.  Wash, dry, wear.  It's all good.
• Can I use other alcohol?  If by this you mean 90% rubbing alcohol, then yes.  If you mean "can I substitute vodka or tequila?" Then no.  Although this is easy enough to make you could probably drink and still come up with something amazing.

My daughter and I did this activity.  I made a shirt for her and she made one for a friend's birthday.  She is 6 and found it fascinating.  I'm 30ish and was too afraid to let the 3 year old try this craft.  If you want to try with your 3 year old, go ahead (but I'm not accountable if Sharpie gets everywhere).

Our supplies

One of our shirts.  I forgot photos of the other one.